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LIFE 



GENERAL WASHINGTON 



BY 

JOHN K. NORTON, A.M., 

KECTOE OF A8CENSI01T CHTTRCII, FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY ; ATTTHOB 

OF " ROCKFORD PARISH," " SHORT SERMONS," " LIFE OF 

BISHOP WHITE," ETC. 



"Let his country consecrate the memory of the heroic general, the patriot 
statesman, and the virtuous sage. Let them teach their children never to for- 
get that the fruits of his labors and his example are their inheritance." 

Letter of U. 8. Senate to President Adams, in 1799. 



^♦» 



NEW YORK: 

CKeneval ^P^otcstant lEpisco^nl S. Sctiool Sanfon, 
antJ e:!jurclj aSoolt Society, 

762 BROADWAY.. 

1860 







S8 



.1^ 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, 

By the General Protestant Episcopal Sunday Scuool 

Union and Church Book Society, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 

Southern District of New York. 



> ^ 



TO 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT. 



Our country has thought you worthy to bear a military title 
which she had before bestowed on George WAsnmGTON only, 
leaving to him the one higher title of " General of the armies 
of the United States." 

Allow me to imitate that honorable association of your name 
with his, by dedicating to the greatest living commander, this 
Life of the greatest and best of all ages ; and I do so more 
gladly because both you and he, while yourselves at the head 
of armies, have been proud to serve the Lord of Hosts, even as 
humble privates under the banner of the great " Captain of 
our Salvation." 



Note.— The reader will l>e glad to know, that, like Washington, Gen- 
eral Scott is a Churchman. He remarked in his speech at San Francisco, 
in the autumn of 1857, " I am a church-going man. I have not failed to 
go to church on a Sunday for forty years, whenever it was possible to 
attend. I am always sorry to stay away from divine service." 
1* 



" The death of ■Washington has revealed the extent of our loss. It has 
given us the final proof that we never mistook him. Take his affecting 
testament, and read the secrets of his soul : read all the power of do- 
mestic virtue ; read his strong love of letters and of liberty ; read his 

fidelity to republican principles, and his jealousy of national character 

In the complicated excellence of character he stands alone. Let no fu- 
ture Plutarch attempt the iniquity of parallel. Let no soldier of fortune 
— let no usurping conqueror — let not Alexander or Caesar — let not Crom- 
well or Bonaparte— let none among the dead or the living, appear in the 
same picture with "Washington ; or let them appear as the shade to his 

light." 

Funeral Oration by Dr. John M. Mason. 



" First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, 
he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life." 

Hajor-General Henrt Lee. 



PREFACE 



The author of this unpretending volume, -while 
endeavoring so to shape the course of the narrative 
that Washington as a man and a Christian should 
not be overshadovv'cd by the military hero, has also 
attempted, within a brief space, to record all the 
prominent events of his life, and to present a biogra- 
phy which shall at once be interesting and improv- 
ing to readers of every class. 

In preparing himself for so difficult a task, he has 
been a diligent reader of the histories and biogra- 
phies which others have published, and his w'ork has 
been that of arrangement and condensation rather 
than of collecting new facts, where the mass of ma- 
terials was already so abundant. 

The valuable Life of Washington, by Chief-justice 
Marshall, will never be superseded by any other ; 
and the crowning glory of Irving's talent will secure 
him a warm place in the hearts of his countrymen. 



GREENOUGH'S STATUE OF WASHINGTON. 



The quarry whence thy form majestic sprung 

Has peopled earth with grace, 
Heroes and gods that elder bards have sung, 

A bright and peerless race ; 
But from its sleeping veins ne'er rose before 

A shape of loftier name 
Than his, who glory's wreath with meekness wore, 

The noblest son of fame. 
Shealhed is the sword that passion never slaiu'd ; 

Ilis gaze around is cast,— 

As if the joys of Freedom, newly gain'd. 

Before his vision pass'd ; 
As if a nation's shout of love and pride 

With music fill'd the air, 
And his calm soul was lifted on the tide 

Of deep and grateful prayer ; 
As if the crystal mirror of his life 

To fancy sweetly came, 
With scenes of patient toil and noble strife, 

Undimm'd by doubt or shame ; 

As if the lofty purpose of his soul 

Expression would betray — 
The high resolve ambition to control, 

And thrust her crown away I 
Oh, it was well in marble firm and white 

To carve our hero's form, 
Whose angel guidance was our strength in fight, 

Our star amid (he storm I 
Whose matchless truth has made his name divine, 

And human freedom sure. 
His country great, his tomb earth's dearest shrine. 

While man and lime endure I 
And it is well to place his image there, 

Upon the soil he bless'd : 
Let meaner spirits, who our councils share, 

Revere that silent guest 1 
X,et us go up with high and sacred love 

To look on his pure brow. 
And as, with solemn grace, he points above. 

Renew the paU-iot's vow 1 

Henuy T. Tuckebmak. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER FIRST. 

What an Irish orator once said about ■Washington— The old farm-house on 
Bridge's Creelt — Somelhiiig concerning the Washington family — Birth of a 
hero — Devout parents — George's IJaptism — Saying the catecliism — A lesson, 
taught about sellif-hness— Story of the cherry-tree—"! can't tell a lie" — 
Something more than morality taught — The name George Washington grows 
up in letters fresh and green— The boy's amazement— An explanation songht 
for — The power and goodness of the Almighty as seen in His manifold 
works 21 



CHAPTER SECOND. 

Mr. Washington removes to Stafford Countj- — Plainness and simplicity — A. 
mothei's hopes for her eldest sou— The old chaise — Lawrence Washington 
goes to Kngland, to school— " Old Hobby" — George's education begun— The 
ciphering -book — Poetical extracts- " Rules of behavior" — An old book 
Avhich liarl much to do in the formation of a great character — "My son, neg- 
lect not ihe duty of secret prayer"— Playing soldier — Sham fights— Ijawrence 
Washington becomes a captain — Mr. Washington dies, and his elder sons 
marry and settle in life— Gaorge sent; to a higher school— Taste for athletic 
exercises— "I think I can beat that, yet" 31 



CHAPTER THIRD. 

Visits to Mount Vernon— The old Virginia aristocracy— Lord Fairfax— Influen-/ 
ces which are helping to form ihe diameter of George Washington— Dinner- 
table chat about miliiary affairs — A midsliipmau's warrant secured— Almost 
afloat — i;heerfnl obedience to a mother's wishes — Two years more at school — 
The old chinch at Fredericksburg — Lord Fairfax determines to have his wild 
lands surveyed— Washington sets out on his journey— No pleasure excursion 
—Hardships and dangers— Advantages derived from these three years' labors 
.—Something which Lord Fairfax did not dream of— Disputes between tba 



10 



CONTENTS. 



1 French and English-A young adjutant-general-A domestic duty which in- 
terrupts his military studies-Goes to the West Indies with his brother- 
Death of Lawrence Washington-Mount Vernon changes owners 40 

CHAPTEE FOUKTH. 

The French and Indians become more bold and insolent-A messenger sent out 
to discover their designs- Ambitious schemes of the enemy-A difficult task 
assigned to Washington-Prompt obedience-Perils of the wilderness-Meet- 
H,g of the Half.King, and too much speech-making-Guides secured, and their 
journey resumed-Arrival at Venango-Gracions reception by tlie French com- 
mandant-Business begun-Making good use of one's eyes-Reiraeing steps- 
Voyage in bark canoes-A tramp on foot-The treacherous savages-An anx- 
ious night-Incident of the whirling raft-Safe arrival at Williamsburg-The 
plans of the French discovered-Washington's report published, in spite of his 
modest reluctance to appear as an author 50 

CHAPTER FIFTH. 

The Colonists not very anxious for war -Washington appointed Lieutenant- 
colonel-Difficnlties in raising and equipping troops-Marching west-Making 
roads across the mountains-French aggressions on the Ohio-The En-lish 
taken by surprise-Perilous position-Alarming reports-Attractions of a ruf- 
fled shirt-Warning message from the Half-King-Skirmishing and blood- 
shed-Providential supply of food for a starving camp-The Indian allies take 
their departure, when they are most needed-Dr. James Craik-An independ- 
ent company from South Carolina-Retreat to the Great Meadows-Public 
worship in the camp-The enemy make their appearance-Requestinc^ a par- 
ey--A Dutchman trying to translate French-Terms of capitulation ngreed 
to-Prom,ses poorly kept-Fatiguing march-Arrival at Will's Creek-Wash- 
ingtoa hastens to WiUiamsburg-A vote of thanks-Unpromising be°in- 



CHAPTEE SIXTH. 

Too much boasting-Governor Dinwiddle forms plans to wipe away dis-race 
from the English arms-Washington's opinion not very agreeable to him-The 
Colonial officers badly treated- Washington retires to Mount Vernon-Agri- 
cultural pursuits-The British government arouses itself to action-An exten- 
sive campaign proposed-General Braddock invites Washington to join the 
army-'- 1 do wish George would stay at home I"-The army contractors fail 
to keep then- promises-Benjamin Franklin lends his aid in an emergency- 
Line of march-Weighed down with bnggnge-Braddock obliged to lay 
aside some of his dignity-Advice given and accepted-The fashio;iable offi- 
cers still insist on carrying their trunks-Washington's illness-Uis impa- 
tience to recover before the attack on the Fort yj 



CONTENTS. 11 



CHAPTER SEVENTH. 

A grand military display— Passage of the Monongahela— Marching through a 
dangerous pass — The general takes his own heed, and is not the better for it 
—The firing begins— Savage yells which cause the rocks to re-echo— Panic of 
the troops — Braddock storms and raves — No lack of bravery — The officers cut 
down one by one— The whole English line surrounded — Braddock disdains to 
yield— The drums sound a retreat — The general receives a mortal wound— Re- 
fuses to be carried from the field— Washington tries to collect the scattered 
troops, and lead them off in safety — Death of Braddock — A solemn burial — 
Washington attributes his marvellous preservation to the right source — " I 
expected every moment to see him fall"— A curious circumstance— The favor- 
ite of Heaven, who could not be killed in battle 80 



CHAPTER EIGHTH. 

Washington s«eks for repose at Mount Vernon — Business become tangled by 
neglect — The French and Indians rejoicing at their unexpected victory — The 
whole country in consternation — Washington appointed commander-in-chief of 
all the forces in Virginia— Preparation for a new campaign— Excitement at 
Winchester— Three drunken soldiers produce a great sensation— Lack of 
money and supplies — Progress of the war at the North— Washington sent to 
Boston, and the style in which he travelled — General Shirley settles the ques- 
tion in dispute— Stirring letter to the governor— The militia ordered out — 
Petty annoyances — A chain of forts to be established— Unsatisfactory corre- 
spondence with Governor Dinwiddle — Visit to Lord Loudoun— Standing up for 
one's rights — Never the ofiScer of any king 89 



CHAPTER NINTH. 

Washington protecting the frontier settlements— Governor Dinwiddie not more 
friendly than before— Another spell of sickness — The Governor returns to 
England- Washington once more at the post of duty — A fresh expedition 
planned against Fort Duquesne— The young officer chosen a member of the 
House of Burgesses — A horseback ride from Winchester to Williamsburg, 
and something important which grew out of it — A young and blooming widow 
— Dark hazel eyes and hair— An afternoon passing like a dream— Courtship 
finished in a brief space— Difficulties about the road — Six weeks wasted — 
Washington's advice discovered to be the best— Major Grant's party surprised 
and driven back — More prudent arrangements made— Fort Duquesne found 
deserted— The ruins strengthened and the name changed— Washington resigns 
his commission— A grand wedding , 99 



12 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTEE TENTH. 

Almost a life of seclusion— " Sit down, Mr. Washington"— A quiet member of 
the House— The mansion at Mount Vernon— An indulgent master— The plan- 
tation producing every thing within itself— Handsome style of living— Chariot 
and four— Multitude of visitors— A compliment paid to rigid honesty— Mrs. 
Washington's domestic duties— A hundred and one cows— Sending to London 
for articles of elegance and luxury — John Parke Custis and his sister Patsey 
— Washington a vestryman of two parishes— Regular attendance at church— 
The children provided with Bibles and Prayer-books — Devout behavior at 
church— Pohlck Church— A new one to be built— Quiet way of settling a diffi- 
culty — A modern tourist visits the sacred place— Christ's Church, Alexandria 
— Attention to the duty of private devotion — " We are not entirely graceless 
at Mount Vernon' ' 108 



CHAPTER ELEVENTH. 

The lordly style in which the Virginia planters lived— Washington's personal 
habits — Early rising— Frugal breakfast and a morning ride— Nothing of an ep- 
icure—Temperance lecture for his overseer— Drawing the seine for Potomac 
herrings— Canvas-back ducks— More sportsmen than were desired— Summary 
punishment of a bold offender- Scheme for draining the Great Dismal Swamp 
— Settling the accounts of the French and Indian war— Washington makes a 
special journey to the Ohio— Revisiting a familiar spot — One of Braddock's 
old soldiers well provided for — Fighting his battles over again — A sad event- 
Washington's earnest prayers— Death of Miss Custis — A kind husband's at- 
tentions—The consolation which true religion alone can give 118 



CHAPTER TWELFTH. 

A great change in the feelings of the Colonies towards the mother country- 
Plans for refilling his majesty's purse— Respectful remonstrances— Patrick 
Henry's clarion notes— The Stamp-act, and the feelings of indignation which it 
aroused— Washington appointed a delegate to the first Congress—" What is it 
we are contending against?" — Congress meets at Philadelphia— A very digni- 
fied assembly— Proceedings kept secret— The first prayer in Congress— "It 
seems as if Heaven had ordained that psalm to be read on that morning" — A 
solemn pause— Business begins in earnest — The greatest man in Congress — 
John Parke Custis grows weary of study, and proposes to visit Europe — His 
stepfather sets him to work again— A delicate caso to manage — The young 
man at last has his way— Premature marriage 125 



CONTENTS. 13 



CHAPTER THIRTEENTH. 

Move English troops landed at Boston — The Colonists not yet prepared to de- 
clare their independence— Washington's opinion in his own words — Lending 
his aid in the formation of independent companies — The second general Con- 
gress — Blood spilled— General Gage's soldiers are glad to escape from the 
wrath of the despised rebels— No more humble petitions to his majesty— Con- 
gress gives some important orders— A commander-in-chief to be chosen— Mr. 
Adams ntters something like a compliment, iind the gentleman referred to 
dMts into another room— A wise choice — Washington's acceptance — No pay 
for services — Letter to one who will be startled by the tidings— Reliance on 
Divine Providence— Drawing up a will— Just on the wing 138 



CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. 

General Washington sets out for Cambridge — Great curiosity to see him — Ti- 
dings from Bunker Hill— Only four barrels of powder in New York City—" The 
liberties of the country are safe !"— Not puffed up by honors and attentions — 
Arrival at Cambridge in a cloud of dust— Draws his sword as commander-in- 
chief— Examining the country about Boston— Disappointment at the size of the 
army — Trying to bring order out of confusion — Washington's first general or- 
der — All distinctions of Colonies to be laid aside— No profane swearing or 
drunkenness allowed — Punctual attendance on Divine service required — 
Bird's-eye view of the camp— The English forces hemmed in— Provisions be- 
coming scarce— An alarm about powder— American prisoners badly treated — 
Washington expostulates with General Gage, who returns an insolent answer 
—Severity in appearance only— The rebels not to be despised 147 



CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. 

Affairs at Mount Vernon— What the British cruisers might easily have done — 
Mrs. Washington quite composed — General Washington receives regular re- 
ports of the condition of his plantation— Ever mindful of the wants of the poor 
— A corn-house filled for their use— Free access to the fisheries — Mrs. Wash- 
ington goes to Cambridge in her coach and four— The camp brightens Up at 
her arrival — An amusement which is not common in our days— Expedition to 
Canada, and the result — The siege of Boston continues, and both parties be- 
come very tired of it — An introduction to several distinguished generals— Fit- 
ting up a theatre—" The Blockade of Boston" — A drama of real life which 
puts a sudden end to sport — " Officers, to your alarm-posts 1" — Disheartening 
circumstances— The evil of short enlistments keenly felt— Letter to Joseph 
Reed— A most undesirable position— Private prayer and public worship never 
neglected 156 

2 



r^ in 

and at 



14 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER SIXTEENTH. 

A stir in Boston Harbor— Tlie British fleet takes its departure— Washington's 
anxiety about New York— General Lee sent to raise troops for its defence — The 
quiet of Sunday disturbed by the arrival of the enemy — Only a short visit to a 
friend— Washington growing impatient— Fifty cannon and plenty of powder- 
Taking possession of Dorchester Heights— General Howe opens his eyes iu 
amazement—" Remember, this is the fifth of March"— Both sides disappointed 
— The British propose to abandon Boston— Their hasty departure — Praises 
showered upon Washington— " Where is the fleet going f"—Alexandri 
alarm—" I am packing up your china"— Washington takes the comman 
New York — A conspiracy for seizing him— Everybody becoming suspicious — 
The British troops landed on Staten Island— Signing of the Declaration of In- 
dependence—No room for indecision left 166 



CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH. 

Both sides preparing for the future— The forces of General Howe multiplying— 
Arrival of a powerful fleet — A letter for which it was hard to find an owner — 
Military titles— The rebels declining to be pardoned— Fears excited by the 
English ships- Hessian soldiers— Painful suspense — The enemy land on Long 
Island— All doubts at an end — An unfortunate battle — "What brave fellows 
I must this day lose 1" — A night of cruel anxiety — Council of war — A hard 
night's work— The British ships ventm-e nearer to the city — Washington at- 
tending divine service in New York— A very loyal servant of the king gives 
his account of it— Day of public fasting and prayer— The same church adapted 
to the wants of all, no matter what their political opinions may be 177 



CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH. 

Lord Howe still hopes for an amicable settlement of difiaculties— He sends a 
message to Congress— A committee aj^ointed to meet him— The result far 
different from what he had expected— The enemy's plans begin to develope 
themselves— Washington reduced to one mode of warfare— His army wasting 
away— New Y'ork abandoned — The British fire upon the guard at Kip's Bay 
— Disgraceful flight — Washington loses his presence of mind — "Are these the 
men with whom I am to defend America ?"— His letter to Congress— Good 
officers indispensable— The practice of plundering to be checked— Thoroughly 
discouraged and perplexed— Congress becomes rather wiser than before— 
Troops to be enlisted for the war— Dread of the power of armies and generals 
—Washington's true character not then fully understood 187 



CONTENTS. 15 



CHAPTEE NINETEENTH. 

The American encampment at King's Bridge— Redoubts and intrenchments— 
The British land at Throg's Neck — A serious question, which required a 
prompt answer — Washington removes his head-quarters to White Plains — 
"The British are in the camp, sir 1"— Dread of light-horse— The enemy 
change their plan — Both sides sufiFer loss, and neither gains much — Breast- 
worls of corn-stallis— An insolent letter which paints a melancholy picture — 
Poor pay and hard living— The American army retires to North Castle— Gen- 
eral Howe withdraws to the Hudson — Various suppositions as to what he was 
•bout to do— Washington's opinion proves to be correct— Attack on the Fort 
—Weeping like a child— The army crosses into New Jersey, followed by the 
British— Fruitless appeals for help— Too many Tories in New Jersey— The 
gloomiest period of the war — A fresh proclamation of pardon — Washington 
firm in the midst of trials— What he proposed to do in the last emergency — 
Certainty of final success 196 

CHAPTEE TWENTIETH. 

New trials— A loved and trusted friend behaves very shabbily— General Lee's 
jealousy— Plans for his own advancement— Enduring enough in silence— Col- 
onel Reed writes a most improper letter — An accident reveals the treachery to 
the one most nearly concerned— Repenting of errors, with many tears— Lee's 
inglorious capture — His character and aims — A bold stroke — Crossing the 
Delaware on a stormy night— Nine weary miles — The enemy surprised— 
" Their flags are struck, sir !"— The spoils of victory— Failure in a part of the 
plan — Visit of sympathy to a dying soldier — Triumphal entry into Philadel- 
phia—Difficulty in persuading the troops to re-enlist — Hard money needed — 
Robert Morris applied to— He borrows it from an unexpected quarter— The 
campaign of 1776 closes gloomily 206 

CHAPTEE TWENTY-EIEST. 

Morristown— Small-pox breaks out— Attachment of the army for their general— 
Letter-writing— The question about the bad treatment of prisoners revived- 
Disputes about rank among the officers— Foreigners applying for commissions 
— A noble Pole — "Try me" — General Howe is in no hurry to quit his snug 
quarters — A new chain stretched across the Hudson— Colonel Reed sends an 
humble apology for his conduct— Washington's magnanimous reply— Alexan- 
der Hamilton— Sir William Howe leaves New Jersey— Gloomy tidings from 
Ticonderoga— Lafayette introduced to the Commander-in-chief— His first sight 
of the American army — " It is to learn, and not to instruct, that I came here" 
—The army marches through Philadelphia in grand style— Washington's 
head-quarters at Wilmington 217 



16 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTEE TWENTY-SECOND. 

The British make a landing in Maryland— Light troops sent to remove some 
stores beyond their reach—" Now is the time to reap the fruit of our trials"— 
Battle of Brandy wine— Alarm in Philadelphia— Congress retires to York- 
town— The British keep themselves quiet for two days— Gaining courage in 
the midst of defeat— The enemy enter Philadelphia in triumph— Making the 
best of circumstances— Engagement at Germantown— How the news of these 
things affected the French court— Tidings from the North, both bad and good 
—General Gates, and the unwarrantable course which his vanity led him to 
take— Forgiving injuries again— Skirmishes at Whitemarsh— Winter sets in- 
Sad and dreary march to Valley Forge— Building huts and log-houses 228 

CHAPTER TWENTY-THIED 

Little of romance at Valley Forge— Washington encouraging the soldiers in their 
architectural labors — "Fighting will be far preferable to starving" — A dan- 
gerous meeting checked — "Not a single hoof to slaughter"— Patience giving 
■,yay— Seeking directions from above—" Our cause is lost"— Washington on 
his knees— Forming a new system for the army— Little less than a famine— 
The British faring sumptuously in Philadelphia — What one of their own his- 
torians says— Mrs. Washington at Valley Forge— Her labors of love— Baron 
Steuben— Acts as drill-master to the army— The British government becomes 
still more uneasy— Fresh proposals for reconciliation— Pleasant tidings from 
France— A day of rejoicing at Valley Forge 239 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH. 

Sir William Howe recalled to England— His successor displays more energy— 
The British leave Philadelphia — Washington in pursuit— Battle of Monmouth 
—Very unaccountable conduct of General Lee— Sharp words— "I expected 
my orders to be obeyed"— Washington stops the retreat, and begins the fight 
in earnest—" Follow your general"— Welcome repose— Lee brought to trial— 
The end of his military career— The French fleet arrives— Several plans pro- 
posed, which did not succeed well— Great disappointment— Jealousies and 
disputes— Washington as a peace-maker— Count d'Estaing— Letter to Lafa- 
yette— No more battles at present— The English fleet engaged in rather dishon- 
orable pursuits— The American army retires into winter-quarters 249 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIFTH. 

Lafayette returns to France— His scheme for the invasion of Canada— Washing- 
ton disapproves of it— Five anxious weeks at Philadelphia— Perilous condition 
of public affairs— Letter to Colonel Harrison— Advises that abler men be sent 



CONTENTS. 17 

to Congress — No flowery path— Confiding in an crv^erruling Providence — Forty- 
paper dollars for one of silver— Small things proposed for the next campaign 
—Sir Henry Clinton's complaint— General Sullivan sen^gainst the Indians— 
The two armies remove to the shores of the Hudson — Capture of Stony Point 
— General praise well deserved — Washington not kept informed of the state of 
public affairs— The style of living at head-quarters — Two beef-steak pies, and 
tin plates— Grace and ceremony — "Light-horse Harry" — Attack on the fort 
at Paulas Hook 262 



CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXTH. 

British and Americans both anxious to know what the French fleet would do- 
Washington's quarters once more— Hard times — New Jersey does her part — 
Intense cold — Arnold tried and reprimanded — The Southern States in danger 
— The condition of the army becomes desperate— A mutiny breaks out— La- 
fayette returns to America— Another French fleet arrives— White and black 
cockades— Gates' defeat at Camden— Arnold begins to contrive evil things 
against his country — Fifteen Months' secret correspondence with the enemy — 
Major Andr6 comes to West Point to see him— All arrangements made — The 
British spy sets out on his return— His capture — Colonel Jameson's strange 
blunder — A surprise at the breakfast-table— The traitor saves his neck 
—"Whom can we trust now I"— Washington's kindness to Mrs. Ar- 
nold 272 



CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

Sensation at New York at the news of Andre's capture— The prisoner carried to 
Tappan— Court-martial— His manly confession— Feelings contending with 
judgment — Sentence of the court— Efforts to secure a pardon — An indirect 
proposal which might have done it — Hung as a spy— His remains removed to 
Westminster Abbey—"! know General Arnold, and abominate traitors"— 
Letter from Washington— General Greene sent to the South— Enlistment of 
soldiers for the war — Securing a loan of money from France — A serious mu- 
tiny — Washington's circular-letter to the Governors— Great forbearance exer- 
cised—The mutiny extends to the New Jersey troops — More decided meas- 
ures taken, and with good results 285 



CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

Why Arnold did not receive a higher position in the British army— The mean- 
ing of brevet— Lafayette sent to Virginia— Difficulty between Washington 
and Hamilton — "You treat me with disrespect"— The younger of the two 
sbows himself rather too unyielding— Friendship restored— General Greene in 
Carolina,— Lord Cornwallis gets to Virginia—" That boy cannot escape me" — 

2* 



18 CONTENTS. 



Washington's overseer too kind to the enemy— Slow work at recruiting- 
Preparation for a descent on New York— The plan reluctantly given up— The 
combined armies hasten to the South— Washington borrows money at Phila- 
delphia — A hurried visit to Mount Vernon — Lord Cornwallis shut in at York- 
town— The siege begins—" We can't spare you yet !"— His lordship attempts 
to escape — Concludes to surrender— Graphic description by an eye-witness— 
"Ground arms"— Public thanksgiving— The captured colors and guns ap- 
propriately disposed of 295 



CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH. 

Washington forms a plan which he was reluctantly forced to abandon— Death of 
his stepson— Lafayette returns home— Trying to prevent Congress from be- 
coming too inactive— Proposals for making a king — His indignant reply — 
Discontent among the soldiers— A great deal of mischief prevented— Treaty of 
peace signed— The soldiers returning to their homes— The " Society of Cfncin- 
nati" — Washington's address to the governors of the States— Visit to some 
memorable spots— The army disbanded — Washington and his troops enter New 
York— His officers take their leave of him— Settling accounts for the war— A 
triumphal journey towards the South— Arrival at Annapolis— Resigns his 
commission to Congress — Retires to Mount Vernon — Happy Christmas 
eve 309 



CHAPTER THIRTIETH. 

A quiet life appears strange enough— Wealth impaired somewhat— Transplant- 
ing trees— Houseful of company — Liberal allowance of visiting — Guests made 

to feel themselves at home— How Washington spent his time— Morning ride 

Dressing for dinner— His only toast— Honoring the Lord's day— Moments of 
abstraction— Lafayette's last visit— A touching incident in the note— Testi- 
mony of his private secretary— Elkanah Watson's interesting reminiscences — 
Home-pictures- No disposition to fight his battles over again by speaking of 
them in conversation— A bowl of hot tea for a cold— Taking a model of his 
face for a bust — Fondness for cheerful society — General Putnam, and the fe- 
male prisoner — Awkward plight of the two judges — Washington enjoys a 
hearty laugh 320 



CHAPTER THIRTY-FIRST. 

Unpromising condition of the government— Fears which true patriots enter- 
tained—A convention to form a Constitution— Washington prepares himself to 
discharge his duties as a delegate— Gratifying result of four months' labor— 
The Constitution adopted and a President chosen— Washington's unwilling- 
ness to return to public life— His wishes overruled— Triumphal journey to 



CONTEin'S. 19 

New York— The ceremony of Inanguration— " Long live George Washing- 
ton !"— Solemn services in St. Paul's Church— Modest estimate of his own ca- 
pacity for the Presidency — Overrun with company— Hours and forms of re- 
ception established — The President's house — Style of living — Levees and din- 
ners — Severe illness — " I am in the hands of a good Providence" — Visit to the 
Eastern States— Observance of Sunday— The "Speaker's bell"— Dr. Griffith, 
bishop elect of Tirginia— Washington's mother departs this life— Her last 
blessing — A beautiful letter — An example for American youth- The Divine 
promise made good 329 



CHAPTER THIETY-SECOXD. 

Washington selects his cabinet— The appointing power gives him much trouble 
—The Church recovering from the effects of the war— The General Convention 
sends an address to the President— Bishops Provoost and White— Hamilton's 
plan for paying the debt of the United States— The seat of government re- 
moved to Philadelphia for ten years — District of Columbia — Washington visits 
Rhode Island—" There comes Washington !''—Fault-finders— Rather a sharp 
letter— The President describes his levees— Joshua and Washington compared 
— Graver matters which occasion some concern — The President worships at 
Christ Church, Philadelphia— His intimacy with Bishop White— Party 
spirit running high— Federalists and Democrats— One hopeful sign 3i3 



CHAPTEE THIETY-THIED. 

Tour through the Southern States — Washington's care for his horses— A stirrup- 
leather used for improving a bad memory — More troubles with the Indians — 
The first minister sent from the United Slates to Great Britain— A portrait 
which Sir Joshua Reyuolds did not have to paint — Washington's correspond- 
ence with Lafayette— Party spirit increases in bitterness — Jefferson and 
Hamilton become unfriendly — Washington re-elected President — A bloody 
revolution in France — Sympathies excited in this cotmtry— President takes 
a decided stand— Mr. Genet comes over, and behaves rather impudently —He 
is recalled at Washington's request— Troubles with England— Mr. Jay sent 
over as an envoy of peace— More troubles— Washington's Farewell Address 
—A dinner-party which ends in tears- Washington meets the two Houses of 
Congress for the last time — A touching scene 353 



CHAPTEE THIETY-FOUETH, 

A base forgery which was skilfully contrived, but which did little harm— An 
important record— The inauguration of a new President- A silent benediction 
—Departure for Mount Vernon— Former course of life resumed— Letter to 
Secretary Wolcott— Rural pursuits— The sixty-fifth year of life— Picture of ev- 



20 CONTENTS. 

ery-day doings— An assistant called in to help in entertaining visitors— A 
young gentleman gains a good wife in this way— Preparations for war with 
France— Washington appointed commander-in-chief— Goes to Philadelphia to 
attend to important business— A new system of warfare to be adopted— The 
French government begins to hesitate— Washington's last concern for the 
army 367 



CHAPTER THIETY-FIFTH. 

Winter weather— Washington continues his daily rides, and his in-door employ- 
ments—Arrangements for a new vault— A complete system for the manage- 
ment of his estate—" A large circle round the moon"— Writes his last letter— 
A ride in the rain— More thoughtful for a servant than himself— Sitting by the 
cheerful parlor-fire, reading the newspapers—" I never take any thing for a 
cold"— An alarm in the night— Dr. Craik sent for— An unfortunate bleeding— 
The two wills— " I find I am going"— Consideration for others— "I am not 
afraid to go"— Wishes to be alone— Directions about his burial— A last effort 
worthy of himself— The death-chamber— A note worth reading— Touching evi- 
dence of affection— Why Washington did not communicate in his last hours- 
Proofs of a gracious state 375 



CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXTH. 

Opening the old family vault— The crowd begins to gather to do honor to the 
illustrious dead— Order of the procession— The burial-service — The Rev. 
Thomas Davis— Honors paid to the memory of Washington throughout the 
nation— England and France show their respect for real worth— Traits of 
character as sketched by Chief-justice Marshall— Washington's opinions con- 
cerning profane swearing and duelling — Teaching the army to reverence the 
name of the Most High— " I thought that we all supposed ourselves gentle- 
men !"— A home-thrust which was felt long afterwards— Washington shows 
his heroism by making an apology— -His interference prevents Lafayette from 
fighting a duel— The hope of the nation— Our only safeguards— The majestic 
march of Washington 386 



LIFE 



GENERAL WASHINGTOK 



CHAPTER FIRST. 

What an Irish orator once said abont "Washington — The old 
farm-house on Bridge's Creek — Something concerning the 
Washington family — Birth of a hero — Devout parents — 
George's Baptism — Saying the Catechism — A lesson taught 
about selfishness — Story of the cherry-tree — " I can't tell a lie" 
— Something more than morality taught — The name, Geoege 
Washington, grows up in letters fresh and green — The boy's 
amazement — An explanation sought for — The power and 
goodness of the Almighty as seen in his manifold works. 

IT matters very little," remarks Mr. Phil- 
lij)s, the great Irish, orator, "what imme- 
diate spot may be the birth-place of such a 
man as Washington. ITo people can claim, 
no country can appropriate him : the boon of 
Providence to the human race, his fame is 
Eternity, and his residence, creation." 



22 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Wliile we heartily reciprocate tlie generous 
feeling tlius eloquently expressed, we cannot 
but rejoice that we are able to speak of this 
great and good man as ow own Washing- 
ton. 

When heroes and statesmen have gained for 
themselves a world-wide renown, it is curious 
to observe what efforts are made to trace out 
for them a lofty descent. The remark is true 
in regard to the subject of this memoir: we 
can be satisfied, however, to represent him 
precisely as he was, — one of nature's noble- 
men. 

George Washington was born in a ]3lain 
farm-house, on Bridge's Creek, Westmoreland 
County, Yirginia, on the 22d of February, 
1732.^ His father, Augustine Washington, 
was born on the same estate, which remained 
in the family nearly eighty years. 

George Washington's great-great-grandfa- 
ther was an Englishman, who came over with 
his brother, in 1657, and settled in Westmore- 
land County. 

Augustine Washington was married twice ; 
first to Jane Butler, who left him two sons, 
Lawrence and Augustine, — and then to Mary, 
the daughter of Colonel Ball, a young and 



HIS BIETH-PLACE. 23 

beautiful girl, wlio is described by Parson 
Weems, in his entertaining biograpliy, as " the 
belle of the Northern Neck." She was the 
mother of George Washington. 

Little is known of the father of onr hero, 
except that he was a handsome, strong, sensi- 
ble man, — prosperous and happy, — ^respected 
by his neighbors, and that he died at the age 
of forty-nine. 

The old-fashioned house, with its steep roof, 
and low projecting eaves, where George Wash- 
ington was born, commanded a fine view over 
many miles of the Potomac, and the opposite 
shore of Maryland. 

The family lived very plainly, and the new- 
comer opened his dark eyes on no scene of 
grandeur, and was surrounded by few of the 
luxuries of life. " There was, we may be sure, 
a low ceiling ; a great, wide brick or tile fire- 
place ; a well-saved carpet, with a few straw- 
bottomed chairs, and a tall old bedstead with 
posts like sloops, such a one as "Washington 
slept in to the end of his life. Perhaps these 
posts supported white dimity curtains, for bed- 
curtains had not then been voted unhealthy ; 
and very likely there were some curious, old, 
black-framed engravings of favorite heroes or 



24 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

preachers, hanging high up on the walls ; and 
almost surelj, 

* A varnish'd clock that tick'd behind the door.' " ^ 

The parents of George Washington were 
both devout persons, and members of the 
Episcopal church, or, as many old people still 
prefer to call it, the Church of England. 
They not only tried to serve God themselves, 
but desired to teach their children the good 
and the right way also. 

!N^ot far from the "Washington estate, on the 
road from Westmoreland Court-house to King 
George, was ^' Pope Creek Church," where the 
family attended divine service. Here, on the 
5th of April, when George was about five 
weeks old, he was brought to the parish cler- 
gyman, and received into the ark of Christ's 
Church by Holy Baptism. The Sponsors on 
this important occasion were Mr. Beverly 
Whiting and Captain Christopher Brooks, 
Godfathers, and Mrs. Mildred Gregory, God- 
mother, as the record in the old family Bible 
duly informs \\s. "Here it was that he re- 
ceived those early impressions of religion, 
which, instead of being effaced by age, seemed 

1 Mrs. Kirklaud's Memoh's of Washington, p. 17. 



HIS BIKTH-PLACE. 25 

to grow with liis growth, and strengthen with 
his strength." ^ 

We can easily imagine the readiness with 
which the little boy was taught to respond to 
the question in the Church Catechism, " "Who 
gave you this name ?" — in the good old words 
which long use has rendered so sacred to us, 
" My Sponsors in Baptism ; wherein I was 
made a member of Cheist, the child of God, 
and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven." 

Several pleasant incidents have been treas- 
ured up, concerning the boyhood of "Washing- 
ton, which show that the good seed sown in 
his heart did not fall upon unfruitful soil. 

The following account rests on the testimo- 
ny of a venerable lady, long since deceased, 
who, as a friend and a relative, sj^ent many of 
her youthful days in the family of Mr. Wash- 
ington. This occurrence took place when our 
hero was in his fifth year. 

" On a fine morning in the fall of 1737, 
Mr. Washington, having George by the hand, 
came to the door, and asked cousin Washing- 
ton and myself to walk with him to the or- 



» Bishop Meade's Old Churches and Families of Virginia, vol. 
ii. p. 162. 



Zb LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

cliard, promising to show its a fine sight. On 
arriving at the orchard, w^e were presented 
with a fine sight, indeed. The whole earth, as 
far as we conld see, was strewed witli fruit : 
and yet the trees were bending under the 
weight of apples. 

" ' JSTow, George,' said his father, ^look here, 
mj son ! Don't yoii remember when this good 
cousin of yours brought you that fine, large 
apple, last spring, how hardly I could pre- 
vail on you to divide with your brothers 
and sisters, though I promised that if you 
would do it, the Almighty would give you a 
plenty of apples this fall V 

"Poor George could not say a word; but 
hanging down his head, appeared quite con- 
fused. 

" ' Now, look up, my son,' continued his fa- 
ther, 'and see how richly the Almighty has 
made good my promise to you !' 

George looked in silence on the wide wilder- 
ness of fruit; then lifting his eyes to his 
father, he said, with emotion, 'Well, pa, only 
forgive me this time, and see if I am ever so 
stingy any more.' " 

One of the first lessons which Mr. Washing;- 
ton impressed upon his son was a love of truth, 



HIS BIETH-PLACE. 27 

and the well-known story of tlie clierry-tree 
shows that these instructions were not thrown 
away. 

About a year after the visit to the orchard 
just described, George became the happy own- 
er of a little hatchet, the keen edge of which 
he was fond of trying upon almost every thing 
which came in his way. One day while play- 
ing in the garden, he made several terrible 
gashes on the body of a beautiful English 
cherry-tree, which was highly prized by his 
father, who soon afterwards discovered the 
mischief which had been done. The servants 
-were assembled, and Mr. Washington inquired 
whether any of them knew who had thus de- 
stroyed his favorite tree ; but no one could tell 
any thing about it. Presently the real offend- 
er made his appearance, with hatchet in hand. 

'' George," inquired his father, "do you 
know who killed that beautiful cherry-tree 
yonder in the garden ?" 

The little fellow was taken by surprise, and 
for a moment staggered under the question ; 
but quickly recovering himself, he looked up 
at his father and said, " I can't tell a lie, pa, — 
I cut it with my hatchet." 

The delighted father embraced his son, say- 



28 LIKE OF WASHINGTON. 

ing, " I am glad, George, tliat yoii killed the 
tree; for you have paid me a thousand-fold. 
Such an act of heroism, my boy, is worth 
many such trees as the one destroyed." 

Mr. Washington was not satisfied to instruct 
his son in the duties of morality alone, but 
endeavored to train him up in the fear and 
service of God. 

The following ingenious expedient was 
adopted, to make an impression upon his 
youthful mind. 

On a properly prepared bed in his garden, 
he traced, with a stick, the letters of his son's 
name; and sowing seed in them, he covered 
the same over, and smoothed the ground nicely 
with a roller. In a short time the usual 
progress of vegetation brought up the plants, 
and displayed, in prominent and legible char- 
acters, the words, Geokge "Washington. 

It was not many days before the vegetable 
wonder caught the eye for which it was in- 
tended. Again and again did the astonished 
boy read his name, springing up from the 
earth in letters fresh and green. But soon he 
turned with eager steps to seek his beloved 
father, and tell him of the sight he had seen. 
The conscious father hastened with him to the 



GOD IN HIS WORKS. 29 

spot, and listened for a time to tlie expression 
of his childish admiration and perplexity. It 
was in vain that he sought for a cause of the 
phenomenon. He could not be satisfied imtil 
his father revealed his own agency. He had 
made the letters with his stick, and had sowed 
the seed in the furrows ; and the warm earth 
had caused them to spring up. And now he 
availed himself of the propitious occasion to 
direct the excited faculties of the child toward 
the contemplation of that Infinite Intelligence 
whence all things had proceeded. He showed 
the necessary existence of God from the works 
of nature, from the manifest traces of design, 
contrivance, and wise adjustment, everywhere 
discernible in the various productions of the 
Almighty Hand. The moment was eminently 
auspicious. The mind could not have been 
more impressible or open to salutary instruc- 
tion, under any ordinary influence.^ Such a 
demonstration as that presented to the eye, 
was eminently calculated to stimulate reflec- 
tion, enlighten the mind, and rivet conviction. 
Here, in the name inscribed on the earth, was 
an effect; for this there must have been a 
cause ; — and an intelligent cause must be in- 
ferred from the design manifest in the work. 



30 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

If sucli a conclusion was authorized, yea, 
compelled, by the present instance of intelli- 
gent contrivance, how much more might it be 
inferred that "the Lord by wisdom hath 
founded the earth, and by understanding es- 
tablished the heavens!'** 



* McGuires Eeligioua Opinions and Character of Washington, 
p. 85. 



CHAPTEPw SECOND. 

Mr. Washington removes to Stafford County — Plainness and 
simplicity— A mother's hopes for her eldest son— The old 
chaise — Lawrence Washington goes to England to school—* 
" Old Hobby" — George's education begun — The ciphering 
book — Poetical extracts — "Eules of behavior" — An old 
book which had much to do in the formation of a great char- 
acter — " My son, neglect not the duty of secret prayer" — 
Playing soldier — Sham fights — Lawrence Washington be- 
comes a captain — Mr. Washington dies, and his elder sons 
marry, and settle in life — George sent to a higher school — 
Taste for athletic exercises — " I think I can beat that yet 1" 

"VTOT long after the birth of his son George, 
1\ Mr. Washington removed to an estate in 
Stafford County, opposite Fredericksburg. Tlie 
house was not unlike that which the family 
had occupied at Bridge's Creek, and stood on 
a rising ground overlooking a meadow which 
bordered the Kappahannock river. Plainness 
and simplicity were the distinguishing charac- 
teristics of the family, — the father being kind 
in his manners, and prudent in his business 
arrangements, and the mother frugal, and at- 
tentive to her domestic duties. 

It was fortunate for the future leader of our 
armies, and the first President of this Repub- 



32 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

lie, tliat his early days were thus passed, free 
from the enervating effects of luxury, and the 
allurements to evil. Such a training rendered 
him easy to please, satisfied with plain things, 
and able to adapt himself to the rough ways 
of the camp. 

The anecdotes recorded in our first chapter 
have made us acquainted with Mr. Washing- 
ton's conscientious efforts to discharge his 
duties as a parent. The mother of our hero 
was no less faithful and persevering in her 
endeavors to train up her son aright. 

As the eldest of her children, and withal a 
fine, handsome boy, of strong natural sense, 
and great nobleness of heart, slie formed high 
hopes concerning his future destiny, — although 
lier fondest anticipations could never have 
reached the proud eminence which he after- 
wards attained. 

Mrs. Washington was a woman of uncommon 
decision and energy, and her only ambition, so 
far as she herself was concerned, was faithfully 
to discharge the weighty responsibilities of a 
good wife and mother. To show the extreme 
simplicity in which George was brought up, it 
may be mentioned that when his mother rode 
over to Fredericksburg, in her old-fashioned. 



33 

unstuffed chaise without a top, to take tea 
with a friend, in a social way, the future 
deliverer of his country sat at her feet in the 
vehicle, on a little stool. 

In early times, it was the custom among 
wealthy Virginia gentlemen to send their sons 
to England to finish their education ; and this 
had been done by AEr. Washington in the case 
of his first-born, Lawrence, who was looked 
upon as the future head of the family. 

George received the rudiments of a plain 
English education from one of his father's 
tenants, named Hobby, who filled the impor- 
tant oftices of sexton of the parish, and master 
of the " field school." The old man used to 
boast in after years, and especially when he 
had been warmed up by a social glass, on the 
General's birth-day, that it was he, who, be- 
tween his knees, had laid the foundation of 
George "Washington's greatness. 
> 'No one pretends that Washington was a 
ripe scholar, for he certainly was not, — but 
whatever he undertook to learn, he learned 
well. The instructions which he received 
from " old Hobby" were of the simplest kind, 
consisting of reading, writing, and arithmetic, 
and in these he took pains to perfect himself. 



34: LIFE OF WASHINGTON". 

The " ciphering book" is still preserved in 
which George wrote out the solutions of the 
most difficult sums, the blank portions of the 
pages being carefully filled up with elaborate 
flourishes of the pen. 

There is also a " Poetry Book," in which he 
was accustomed to copy such choice extracts 
as struck his fancy, and which he wished to 
treasure up for future use. 

He also filled thirty pages of a large blank 
book with " Rules of Behavior in Company 
and Conversation," which probably had a 
good deal to do in the foundation of his digni- 
fied and polished manners. 

It was Mrs. Washington's custom to read 
some improving books to her children at home, 
and in this way, they received much valuable 
instruction. Among the volumes which she 
used for this purpose was one entitled, " Con- 
templations, Moral and Divine, by Sir Matthew 
Hale," an old, well-worn copy, which still 
bears on its title-page the name of its owner, 
" Mary Washington." Those who are familiar 
with the character of Washington, will be 
struck, on reading these "Contemplations," 
with the remarkable fact that the instructionb 
contained in them are most admirably calcu- 



SHAM FIGHTS. 35 

lated to implant and foster sucli principles as 
he is known to have possessed. The volume 
was fomid in the library at Mount Yernon, 
after Washington's death, and it appears to 
liave been used by him through life. Well 
might he prize the favorite book of that moth- 
er, whose parting charge had been, when he 
first left the paternal roof, "My son, neglect 
not the duty of secret prayer." Never did a 
mother give better advice to her son, and 
never did a son more conscientiously follow it. 
In most schools, some good boy is found who 
is distinguished above his fellows for justice 
and honor, to whom appeals will be made for 
the settlement of their petty disputes. Such 
was the position occupied by George Wash- 
ington. But besides his important services as 
a peace-maker, he gained no little popularity 
by the pleasure which he took in marshalling 
his companions as soldiers, and instructing 
them to perform military manoeuvres, and 
to engage in sham fights. Sometimes the 
troops were arranged in two bands, one of 
them personating the English, and the other 
the French, — the latter troop being command- 
ed by a lad named William Bustle, and the 
former always by George Washington. 



36 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

These military tastes can be very naturally 
accounted for. When George was about eight 
years of age, his brother Lawrence returned 
from England, a well-educated and accom- 
plished youth. A strong attachment existed 
between the two, and the younger was accus- 
tomed to look up to the elder as a pattern of 
all that was manly and excellent. When 
Spanish depredations on British commerce had 
provoked the English to vindicate their rights, 
— the French taking sides with Spain, — troops 
came over from England for a campaign in 
the West Indies, and a regiment of four battal- 
ions was to be raised in the colonies, and sent 
to aid them. Lawrence Washington, now 
twenty-two, became excited by the sound of 
drum and fife, and having obtained a captain's 
commission, he went forth to the war, and 
served in the joint expeditions of Admiral 
Yernon and General Went worth. 

George had seen his brother fitted out for 
this expedition ; and his letters home, describ- 
ing the exciting scenes through which he 
passed, made an impression upon the little 
school-boy, and his amusements began to take 
a military turn. 

Lawrence Washinocton returned home in the 



MOUNT VEENON. 3T 

aiitnmn of 1742, at the close of the "West India 
campaign, bnt his purpose was to join the 
army again, which would no doubt have been 
carried into effect, had not a matrimonial 
engagement prevented. The object of his 
affections was Anne, the eldest daughter of 
the Hon. William Fairfax, and arrangements 
were made for the marriage, when the sudden 
death of Mr. Augustine Washington occasioned 
some delay. He expired on the 12th of April, 
1743, aged forty-nine years. George, who 
was absent from home, on a visit, returned 
just in time to receive his father's parting 
blessing. 

Mr. Washington left a handsome property to 
his family, and the children were all amply pro- 
vided for. The estate on the banks of the Poto- 
mac became the property of Lawrence, who 
gave it the name of Mount Yeknon, in honor 
of the Admiral under whom he had served. 
To Augustine, the second son by the first mar- 
riage, was left the old homestead in Westmore- 
land, while the children of the second Mrs. 
Washington, received their full share. George, 
when he became of age, was to have the house 
and lands on the Rappahannock. 

Three months after his father's death, Law- 
4 



38 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

rence married Miss Fairfax, and settled on his 
estate, and in due time, Angnstine followed liis 
example, by taking for his wife Anne, daugh- 
ter of William Aylett, Esq., of Westmoreland 
County, and removing to the farm on Bridge's 
Creek. 

The death of Mr. Augustine Washington 
had left a heavy weight of responsibility on 
his widow, who must now have the entire con- 
trol of her children (George, Samuel, John 
Augustine, Charles, and Elizabeth), and take 
care of their property until they became of age. 

We have before intimated that she cherish- 
ed great hopes of her eldest son, but her ambi- 
tion was limited to what she regarded as the 
most independent and happiest condition of lifcf 
that of an intelligent, honest, thriving planter. 

George was now eleven years of age, and be- 
ing already too far advanced to derive much 
benefit from the tuition of '' Old Hobby," he 
was sent to reside with his brother Augustine, 
at Bridge's Creek, in order that he might at- 
tend a superior school in that neighborhood, 
kept by a Mr. Williams. 

His education was i3lain and practical, the 
learned languages forming no part of it. The 
exactness v/ith which his private accounts 



39 

•were afterwards kept, and the accuracy wliicli 
marked all his dealings with Congress during 
the perplexities of war, showed that his early 
training had been admirably adapted for the 
life which he was to lead. 

We must not forget to mention his taste for 
athletic exercises, in the way of running, leap- 
ing, pitching the bar, and wrestling. He w^as 
also a very superior horseman, and was ready 
to mount the most fiery and untamed steed 
without a moment's hesitation. 

A place is still pointed out at Fredericksburg, 
near the lower ferry, where, when a lad, he 
threw a stone across the Kappahannock, a feat 
which few in our days could equal. 

"Washington's muscular power, which was 
so remarkable in his youth, was retained 
until the end of life. Once, when he was 
quite an old man, happening to pass along 
where some young people were exercising 
themselves at pitching a heavy stone, he stop- 
ped and looked awhile, and then, as the fur- 
thest throw was measured, he smiled and said, 
" I think I can beat that, yet !" and then seiz- 
ing the large stone, with his strong, muscular 
hands, he hurled it far beyond the most dis- 
tant mark, and quietly walked away. 



CHAPTEE THIKD. 

Visits to Mount Vernon— Tlie old Virginia aristocracy— Lord 
Fairfax — Influences whicli are helping to form the character 
of George Washington — Dinner-table chat about military af- 
fairs — A midshipman's warrant secured — Almost afloat — 
Cheerful obedience to a mother's wishes — Two years more at 
school — The old church at Fredei-icksburg — Lord Fairfax de- 
termines to have his wild lands surveyed — Washington sets 
out on his journey — No pleasure excursion — Hardships and 
dangers — Advantages derived from these three years' labors 
— Something which Lord Fairfax did not dream of — Disputes 
between the French and English — A young adjutant-general 
— A domestic duty which interrupts his military studies — 
Goes to the West Indies with his brother — Death of Lawrence 
Washington — Mount Vernon changes owners. 

WHILE George was residing with his 
brother Augustine, he paid frequent vis- 
its to Mount Yernon, where he was always 
welcome. 

Lawrence "Washington had become a mem- 
ber of the House of Burgesses, and adjutant- 
general of the district, and was one of the 
most popular and influential men in tlie coun- 
try. 

These visits to his elder brother made 
George acquainted with some of the best-bred 
people of Yirginia, and among tliem, with 



MILITAET PREDILECTIONS. 41 

William Fairfax, the father-in-law of Lawrence, 
and the owner of a fine estate on the Potomac, 
not far from Mount Yernon. He was a cous- 
in of Thomas, Lord Fairfax, of Greenway Court, 
the proprietor, by grant from the crown, of an 
immense tract of land between the Potomac 
and Kappahannock rivers. The acquaintance 
of these intelligent and wealthy gentlemen 
was of great advantage to George Washington, 
as we shall see hereafter. Other influences 
were also brought to bear on the lad about 
this time. '' Some of Lawrence's comrades of 
the provincial regiment, who had served with 
him in the West Indies, were occasional visit- 
ors at Mount Yernon ; or a ship of war, possi- 
bly one of Yernon's old fleet, w^ould anchor in 
the Potomac, and its ofiicers be welcome 
guests at the tables of Lawrence and his father- 
in-law. Thus the military scenes on sea and 
shore would become the topics of conversation : 
the capture of Porto Bello ; the bombardment 
of Carthagena ; old stories of cruisings in the 
East and West Lidies, and campaigns against 
the pirates. We can picture to ourselves, 
George, a grave and earnest boy, with an ex- 
panding intellect, and g, deep-seated passion 
for enterprise, listening to sijch conversations 

4* 



42 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

with a kindling spirit and a growing desire for 
military life."^ 

He expressed his wishes to his brother, and 
through his influence, and that of the Fairfaxes, 
a midshipman's warrant was secured for him in 
his fourteenth year, and his arrangements made 
for joining a man-of-war. Mrs. Washington 
strongly objected at first, but she was finally 
brought to consent, and his luggage was carried 
on board a ship which was anchored near 
Mount Yernon. At this trying moment, the 
tenderness of a mother's love prevailed, and 
she decided that George should remain at 
home. The scheme so captivating to the 
youthful fancy was abandoned at once, w^ith- 
out a murmur, by the yonth who had been 
so early tanght to honor his father and his 
mother, and to regard their counsels as the 
wisest and the best. 

George now went back to school, where he 
remained for nearly two years, devoting him- 
self especially to mathematics, and perfecting 
himself in the art of land-surveying. During 
this period he resided part of the time with his 
brother Lawrence, and the remainder with his 

1 Irving's Washington [People's Edition], vol. i. p. 29. 



HIS SIXTEENTH TEAK. 43 

mother at her abode opposite to Fredericks- 
burg. Here Mrs. Washington attended church, 
and here George shared with her in the ines- 
timable privileges of public worship. The 
rector of the parish was the Rev. James 
Marje, who retained his office for thirty-two 
years, and, in ITGT, was succeeded by liis 
son.^ 

We have thus followed George Washing- 
ton's course until his sixteenth year, when we 
find him a tall, athletic, manly youth, grave 
and dignified in his manners, and regarded by 
all who knew him as possessed of the noblest 
qualities of mind and heart. 

About this time the eccentric Lord Fairfax, 
whose extensive possessions west of the Blue 
Kidge had never been accurately surveyed, and 
who had been very jnuch annoyed by the un- 
warrantable intrusion of lawless men who had 
settled upon his lauds, determined to send out 



1 "During Mr. Thornton's ministry, General Washington, 
coming to Fredericksburg to visit his mother, attended, as usu- 
al, the Epsicopal church, which drew such a crowd that some- 
thing gave way in the galleiy, which produced great conster- 
nation in the attendants, who rushed out of it through the 
doors and windows." — Bishop Meade's Old Cliurclies of Vir- 
giniJ^ vol. ii. p. 70. 



44- LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

a person qualified to lay off his domain into 
lots, and put it into a more convenient sliape 
for tlie market. Lord Fairfax was a good 
judge of character, and in spite of the extreme 
youth of George Washington, he determined 
in his own mind that he was precisely such an 
agent as he needed. The offer was according- 
ly made that he should go forth upon this bus- 
iness, and it was eagerly accepted. 

In March, 1748, he set out in company with 
George William Fairfax (the brother of Mrs. 
Lawrence Washington) and a small party, to 
explore immense tracts of wild wood-lands, in 
the Alleghany mountains. This was no pleas- 
ure excursion, but a most serious undertaking, 
involving both fatigue and danger. They 
marched on foot, sleeping at night on the 
ground, and living upon the coarsest food, ex- 
jDosed alike to the inclemencies of the weather 
and the treachery of the wild Indian tribes. 

This kind of life was continued for three 
years, and so great was tlie exposure, and so 
severe the draft upon health and strength, 
that the party, after short trips into the wil- 
derness, were absolutely forced to return 
to the settlements to recruit. In spite of all 
difficulties the land-survey was accomplished, 



LOKD FAIRFAX. 45 

much to the satisfaction of Lord Fairfax, 
and not a little to the pecuniary advantage of 
his agent. 

The course of life which Washington had 
been pursuing for some time past had brought 
him to the favorable notice of landholders 
and men of influence, and his sterling merits 
made them his devoted friends. And thus the 
way was opened for his sharing their confidence, 
and feeling sure of theu' assistance when cir- 
cumstances called him to take a bold stand for 
his country. Th*e intimacy of the Fairfaxes 
may be regarded as peculiarly providential, 
not only for its solid benefit to his fortunes, 
but for the influence which it had in forming 
and refining his manners, and preparing him 
to mingle more successfully with the world. 
Lord Fairfax became very much attached to 
the young surveyor, and often invited him to 
visit at his house. "Little did the old gen- 
tleman expect [remarks Mr. Weems, in his 
quaint narrative] that he was raising a youth 
that should one day dismember the British 
empire, and break his own heart, which truly 
came to pass. For, on hearing that Washing- 
ton had captured Cornwallis and all his army, 
he called out to his black waiter, ' Come, Joe ! 



46 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

cany me to my bed, for I'm sure it's higli time 
for me to die!'" 

And his lordship did certainly die in 1782, 
but not prematurely, for he lived to be ninety- 
two. 

We are now to tm^n over a new leaf in the 
life of our hero, and one which will introduce 
us to more exciting scenes. At the '%me of 
which we are speaking, the French and Eng- 
lish were disputing very warmly concerning 
the boundaries between their possessions in 
America, which, by the last treaty of peace, 
had unfortunately been left imdefined. 'Nqi- 
ther party seemed disposed to yield their fan- 
cied claims, and the difficulties became more 
and more alarming, until open hostilities 
were threatened, and the Indian tribes, through 
the influence of large bribes, and the promise 
of future rewards, were taking sides with those 
from whom they hoped to derive the greatest 
advantage for themselves. 

The French had launched an armed vessel 
on Lake Ontario ; fortified their trading-house 
at Niagara; and were rapidly establishing 
outposts along the upper waters of the Ohio. 

The English government was wide awake, 
and the colonies being deeply interested in all 



AK ADJTJTAl^T-GENEEAL. 47 

that pertained to tlie motlier country, were 
not beliindhand in any thing which could be 
considered their duty as faithful subjects of 
the king. Yirginia was di\dded into four 
military districts, each having an adjutant- 
general, with the rank of major, whose busi- 
ness it was to assemble the militia, inspect 
their arms and accouti^ements, and see that 
they were properly disciplined and drilled. 

In 1751, when Washington was nineteen, 
he was selected as one of these adjutant-gen- 
erals, with the pay of a hundred and fifty 
pounds a year ; a most important ofiice indeed 
for so young a man. The influence of Law- 
rence "Washington, who had once held the 
position himself, had something to do with his 
brother's appointment ; but it was chiefly 
owing to the confidence which had been in- 
spired by George's judicious conduct and 
aptness for business, and his well-known incli- 
nation for military aff'airs. 

The young ofiicer applied himself, with his 
accustomed diligence, to the study of the art 
of war, and Mount Yernon for a season, was 
suddenly transformed into a school of arms. 
But another duty, of a domestic nature, now 
interrupted him in the midst of these exciting 



48 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

avocations. His brother Lawrence, wliose 
health had long been precarious, became so 
alarmingly ill that a voyage to the West 
Indies was proposed for him, as the only 
chance of prolonging his days, and George 
was his companion and nurse. They sailed 
for Barbadoes towards the close of September, 
1751, and after a five weeks' passage they 
reached their destination. 

It had been Washington's habit, for years 
past to keep a journal, and those who have 
read the one that records his experience while 
acting as Lord Fairfax's surveyor must have 
been struck with the maturity of thought and 
soundness of judgment which it displayed. 
The diary of the West India voyage consists 
of very brief observations upon the wind and 
weather, with few items of general interest. 
There is this characteristic trait about it, how- 
ever, that although he took the small-pox, on 
the island, and was sick with it for three 
weeks, he barely mentions the fact, without a 
word of comment. 

When Lawrence Washington had been com- 
fortably established in his lodgings, and the 
interest connected with new associations, and 
the romantic scenery of the tropics had ceased 



DECEASE OF LAWKENOE WASHINGTON. 49 

to engage his thouglits, he began to feel se- 
verely the separation from his wife, and it was 
accordingly arranged that George should re- 
turn to Yirginia, and bring her out to Bermuda, 
to which island the invalid proposed shortly to 
depart. Only part of this arrangement was 
carried out, and the brothers never met again 
upon earth. Consumption had so plainly 
marked the sick man for an early victim, that 
he gave up all hope of recovery, and returned 
to Mount Yernon, in time to die under his 
own roof, on the 26th of July, 1752, at the 
early age of thirty-four. 

Lawrence Washington was a pure-minded 
and accomplished gentleman, and, since the 
father's death, he had been a second parent 
and a safe counsellor for George. 

Washington, who had managed his brother's 
affairs during his long illness, now, by the pro- 
visions of his will, took charge of his property 
and of his family, which consisted of his wid- 
ow and one daughter, a frail and feeble child. 

Mrs. Washington afterwards married again, 
and the daughter died, when the estate of 
Mount Yernon passed into the hands of him 
with whose illustrious name it will ever be 

associated. 

5 



CHAPTEK FOUKTH. 

The French and Indians become more bold and insolent— A 
messenger sent out to discover their designs — Ambitious 
schemes of the enemy— A difficult task assigned to Washing- 
ton — Prompt obedience — Perils of the wilderness — Meeting 
with the Half-King, and too much speech-making— Guides 
secured and the journey resumed — Arrival at Venango— 
Gracious reception by the French connnandant — Business 
begun — Making good use of one's eyes — Eetracing steps — 
Voyage in bark canoes — A tramp on foot — The treacherous 
savages — An anxious night — Incident of the whirling raft — 
Safe arrival at Williamsburg — The plans of the French dis- 
covered — Washington's report published, in spite of his 
modest reluctance to appear as an author. 

WHILE Wasliington was engaged in the 
nielancliolj duties to which we have just 
referred, the French and Indians were becoming 
more bold and insolent, until the governor of 
Virginia, a simple-minded Scotchman, felt 
called upon to send out a messenger with 
presents to the red men, and private directions 
to discover, by careful observation, what were 
the real dr.signs of the French. Capt. William 
Trent was selected for tliis purpose, but the 
report which he brouglit back Avas so exagger- 
ated and confused, that little dependence was 



COMMISSION FKOM GOV. DINWIDDIE. 51 

placed upon it. The truth was, that the 
French had begun the formation of a line of 
military fortifications, extending from Canada 
to the southern part of the Mississippi, thus 
securing their ascendency in the important 
region which had been so long in dispute. 
"^ Governor Dinwiddle saw that he had made 
a mistake in sending so inefficient an agent, 
and he now bei>;an to look about for one better 
qualified for the delicate and difficult task. 

Washington was suggested to him as one 
230ssessed of the requisite courage to copfe with 
savages, and a sagacity to negotiate with 
white men, and the commission of the young 
officer was forthwith made out, in these words : 

^' I, reposing especial trust and confidence in 
the ability, conduct, and fidelity of you, the 
said George Washington, have appointed you 
my express messenger; and you are hereby 
authori::ed and empowered to proceed hence, 
with all convenient and possible despatch, to 
that part or place on the river Ohio where 
the French have lately erected a fort or forts, 
or where the commandant of the French forces 
resides, in order to deliver my letter and 
message to him; fi^^u. after waiting not ex- 



52 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

ceeding one week for an answer, you are to 
take leave, and return immediately back. 

" To this commission I have set my hand, 
and caused the great seal of this Dominion to 
be affixed, at the city of Williamsburg, the 
seat of my government, this 30th day of Octo- 
ber, in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of 
his Majesty King George the Second, King of 
Great Britain, &c. Annoque Domini, 1753. 
"Robert DrcrwiDDiE." 

On the very day that his credentials were 
received, "Washington left Williamsburg, and 
having obtained necessaries for the journey at 
Alexandria, he proceeded to Winchester, then 
a frontier town, where he purchased horses, 
tents, and other travelling equipments. The 
party consisted of eight persons : Mr. Gist, an 
experienced backwoodsman ; John Davidson, 
an interpreter for the Indians; Jacob Yan 
Braam, a Dutchman (from whom Washington 
had taken fencing lessons), who could speak 
French; and Major Washington himself. 
Four attendants completed the party which 
began this formidable journey. 

At the end of two weeks they had reached 
Will's Creekj where the stream forces its way 



THE HALF-KING. 53 

through the Alleghanies, and here, leaving 
all evidences of civilization behind them, they 
plunged boldly into the pathless wilderness, to 
encounter the horrors of cold, fatigue, and 
savage ambush. 

On the 2ti:th of [N'ovember, they reached 
Logstown, an Indian settlement, where Wash- 
ington's instructions required him to hold a 
conference with a chieftain known as the Half- 
King, and other sachems of the Six Illations, 
and obtain from them guides for the rest of 
the way. The information concerning the 
movements of the French was rather alarming, 
as it verified the previous reports of their 
having already established several forts on the 
Mississippi, and one on the Ohio ; and when 
the Half-King was requested to show the 
English party the way to the French fortifica- 
tions, he hesitated, not only on the ground of 
the difficulty of the journey at this inclement 
season, but also from a|)prehensions concern- 
ing the reception which they would meet with. 

After a tedious delay, in which some days 
were wasted in speech-making, and secret 
manoeuvring, on the part of the Indians, the 
party again moved onward, being accompanied 
by the Half-King, and two subordinate chiefs. 



64 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

On the 4th of December, they arrived at 
Venango, an old Indian settlement, at the 
mouth of the French Creek, on the Ohio, 
where they met with Captain Joncaire, an 
interpreter, who had great influence with the 
savages. The wily Frenchman, who at first 
was extremely polite, plied the Indians with 
liquor, and did his best to persuade them to 
go back ; but having failed in this, Washington 
and his companions were suffered to proceed. 
After four days' travel through snow, and rain, 
and mire, and swamp, they reached the fort, 
which was situated on the west fork of French 
Creek, about fifteen miles south of Lake 
Erie. 

The Chevalier Legardeur de St. Pierre, who 
commanded the j^ost, — a gentlemanly, shrewd 
old soldier, — received Washington with great 
politeness, and when Yan Braam, the interpre- 
ter, had explained the object of this visit, the 
letter of Governor Dinwiddie was presented in 
due form. 

While the French commandant and his 
ofiicers were discussing the requisitions of the 
English, Washington was using his eyes to the 
best advantage, in examining the condition of 
the fort, and in countinir the number of bark 



RETURN TO VENANGO. 55 

canoes, wliicli were laid up in readiness for an 
expedition down the river, in the early 
spring. 

Although the Chevalier de St. Pierre was 
profuse in expressions of civility, he used 
every art to induce the Half-King to abandon 
his charge ; and he did not hesitate to say that 
the country in dispute belonged to the French, 
and that he had received orders to seize upon 
every Englishman who attempted to trade on 
the waters of the Ohio. 

On the evening of the 14:th, "Washington 
received the commandant's reply to the letter 
of Governor Dinwiddle, and the next day pre- 
pared to return by water to Yenango, a dis- 
tance of one hundred and thirty miles. The 
horses, which were nearly worn out by fatigue, 
had been sent oif before, unloaded. The voy- 
age was any thing but an agreeable one. 
"Several times," says "Washington, in his re- 
port, "we had like to have been dashed 
against rocks ; and many times we were obli- 
ged, all hands, to get out, and remain in the 
water half an hour or more, getting over the 
shoals. At one place the ice had lodged, and 
made it impassable by water ; we were there- 
fore obliged to carry our canoes a quarter of a 



66 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

mile over. We did not reach Yenango till 
the 22d, where we met our horses." 

At this point the arrangements for the jour- 
ney were changed. The horses being in a 
wretched condition for travelling, and the 
paths nearly blocked up with snow, Washing- 
ton determined to leave Mr. Yan Braam to 
come on slowly with the baggage, while Mr. 
Gist and himself made the best speed they 
could on foot. 

Equipped in Indian hunting-dresses, with 
packs strapped to their backs, they set off on 
the 26th of December, with stout hearts, to 
meet the dangers before them. 

On the second day they encountered a party 
of Indians, in the pay of the French, evidently 
lying in wait for them ; but when fired upon 
by one of them, they suppressed the desire they 
felt to return the shot, — which would have 
brought the whole company upon them. From 
motives of prudence they seized the offender, 
and kept him in custody until late in the 
evening, and then sent him off, unarmed, to 
join his comrades. In order to deceive the 
enemy, they now built a large fire, as if they 
had encamped for the night, and at once set 
off, at a brisk rate, to get as far ahead as j^os- 



RAFTING. 57 

sible. During the whole of the next day, they 
pushed onward, until they reached the banks 
of the Alleghany, about two miles above the 
Fork of the Ohio. 

Washington had expected to find the river 
frozen over, but it was so only for about fifty 
yards from either shore, while quantities of 
broken ice were floatino; alons: the main chan- 
nel. The weary travellers encamped on the 
cold ground, and were up by day-break to 
contrive some means for crossing. 

We shall allow "Washington to relate his 
own adventures on this occasion. ''There 
was no way for getting over but on a raft, 
which we set about with one poor hatchet, 
and finished just after sunsetting. This was 
one whole day's work. We next got it launch- 
ed, then went on board of it, and set ofi"; but 
before we were half way over, we were jammed 
in the ice in such a manner that we expected 
every moment our raft to sink, and ourselves 
to perish. I put out my setting-pole to try to 
stop the raft, that the ice might pass by, when 
the rapidity of the stream threw it with such 
violence against the pole, that it jerked me 
out into ten feet of water ; but I fortunately 
saved myself by catching hold of one of the 



68 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

raft-logs. Notwithstanding all our efforts, we 
could not get to either shore, but were obliged, 
as we were near an island, to quit our raft 
and make to it. The cold was so extremely 
severe that Mr. Gist had all his fingers and 
some of his toes frozen, and the water shut up 
so hard that we found no difficulty in getting 
oif the island on the ice in the morning." 

Through the good providence of God, "Wash- 
ington was saved from every danger, and 
reached Williamsburg on the 16th of January, 
1754, where Governor Dinwiddle was anxious- 
ly awaiting his report. The tenor of the 
French commandant's letter, and the informa- 
tion which had been gleaned from other 
sources, left no doubt in the minds of the 
Council that the French had made their 
arrangements to descend the Ohio in the 
spring, and take military possession of the 
country. 

Washington's journal was printed, much 
against his inclination, and was widely circu- 
lated throughout the Colonies and England, — 
awakening the nation to a sense of impending 
danger. 



CHAPTER FIFTH. 

The colonists not very anxious for war — Washington appointed 
lieutenant-colonel — Dilliculties in raising and equipping 
troops — Marching west — Making roads across the mountains 
— French aggressions on the Ohio — The English taken by 
surprise — Perilous position — Alarming reports — Attractions 
of a ruffled shirt — "Warning message from the Half-King — 
Skirmishing and bloodshed — Providential supply of food for 
a starving camp — The Indian allies take their departure when 
they are most needed — Dr. James Craik — An independent 
company from South Carolina — Eetreat to the Great Mead- 
ows — Public worship in the camp — The enemy make their 
appearance — Eequesting a parley — A Dutchman trying to 
translate French — Terms of capitulation agreed to — Promises 
poorly tept — Fatiguing march — Arrival at Will's Creek — 
Washington hastens to Williamsburg — A vote of thanks — 
Unpromising beginning. 

ALTHOUGH it must have been evident 
to all, tliat tlie French were disposed 
to monopolize tlie best part of the region 
along the Ohio and its tributaries, yet the 
colonists were so averse to war that they 
did not enter as warmly into Governor Din- 
widdle's plans for maintaining their rights as 
he thought they should do. He determined, 
however, that trooj^s should be raised, and all 
needful pre^^arations made. ^Yashington was 



60 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

appointed lieutenant-colonel, and stationed at 
Alexandria, in order tliat lie might superin- 
tend the equij^ping of the soldiers, — a difficult 
matter when money was scarce, and many of 
the men destitute even of shoes and shirts. 
He declined the offer which was made to him, 
that he should take the chief command, — pre- 
ferring to serve as second in rank to Colonel 
Joshua Fry, an English gentleman of intelli- 
gence and worth. 

On the 2d of April, Washington set off 
from Alexandria, for a new fort which had 
heen built at the Fork of the Ohio, — havino- 
with him but two companies, numbering a 
hundred and fifty men. The remainder of the 
regiment, under Colonel Fry, was to follow 
with the artillery. 

The advance party made their way slowly 
and with great difficulty across the mountains, 
opening a road for the main body, — their 
inadequate supply of horses often obliging 
the soldiers to put their shoulders to the 
wheels. 

Meanwhile, the men who were building the 
fort had been suddenly attacked by a large 
French force, and were driven from the 
ground; — the enemy completing their work, 



PEEPARING FOE BATTLE. 61 

wliich tliey called Fort Duqiiesne,* in lionor 
of the Governor of Canada. When tidings of 
these things were bronght to Washington, he 
fonnd himself in circumstances of great peril. 
This aggression on the part of the French was 
nothing less than an open declaration of war, 
and the feebleness of his own force, and the 
uncertainty as to what course the Indians 
might pursue, left him in a painful dilemma. 
A council of war was called, and it was deter- 
mined to proceed to the store-houses belonging 
to the Ohio Company, at the mouth of the 
Redstone Creek, and there fortify themselves, 
and wait for reinforcements. 

Washington sent forward a detachment of 
sixty men to make a road, and wrote, in all 
haste, to Governor Dinwiddle, for mortars and 
heavy cannon. He also applied to the Assem- 
blies of Pennsylvania and Maryland, which 
were then in session, to lend their aid to Yir- 
ginia, in resisting the encroachments of their 
common foe. 

On the 29th of April, the young commander 
set out for Wills' Creek, with one hundred and 



* This fort was built at the junction of the Monongahela and 
Alleghany rivers, where the city of Pittsburg now stands. 



62 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

sixty men, and soon came np with tliose who 
were engaged in the slow and laborious task 
of opening a road through the tangled wilder- 
ness. By the 9th of May they were not more 
than twenty miles from Wills' Creek, at a 
place called the Little Meadows. Alarming 
rumors were daily brought by companies of 
retreating traders, concerning the operations 
of the French, who were represented as strong- 
ly reinforced, and hard at work constructing a 
fort. The same persons reported that the 
enemy were buying over the Indians to their 
interest by large presents, and nearly the only 
crumb of comfort which reached Washington's 
ears, in the midst of so many discouragements, 
was that the Half-King was coming to meet 
him, at the head of fifty warriors. 

When the detachment arrived at the Youg- 
hiogany river, their march was stopj^ed until 
a bridge could be constructed. The savages 
assured Washington so positively that he 
would never succeed in opcriing a wagon-road 
across the mountams to Redstone Creek, that 
he set off in a canoe, with four w^hite men, 
and an Indian guide, to see whether it would 
be possible to descend the river. They had 
hardly gone ten miles, before the Indian re- 



A NIGHT MAECH. 63 

fused to proceed furtlier, — and it was only by 
the promise of a ruffled shirt and a watch-coat 
that his obstinacy was overcome. The river 
was explored for the distance of thirty miles, 
but the obstructions were so numerous, that 
the attempt was abandoned. 

When Washington returned to the camp, 
he received a warning message from the Half- 
King, informing him that the French were 
advancing towards him, determined upon an 
attack. He accordingly hastened to take a 
position in what was called the Great Mead- 
ows, and made an intrenchment as speedily as 
possible. 

After several false alarms the Half-King sent 
word that he had seen the tracks of two French- 
men, and that the whole body must be in ambush 
near by. And here, as many falsehoods were 
circulated by the French at the time, concern- 
ing the death of one of their captains named 
Jumonville, we prefer to give Washington's 
simple account of what followed. "I set out 
with forty men before ten, and it was from 
that time till near sunrise before we reached 
the Indians' camp, having marched in small 
paths through a heavy rain, and a night as 
dark as it is possible to conceive. We were 



64 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

frequently tumbling over one another, and of- 
ten so lost that fifteen or twenty minutes' 
search could not find the path again. 

" When we came to the Half-King I. coun- 
selled with him, and got his assent to go hand- 
in-hand and strike the French. Accordingly 
he and Monacatoocha, and a few other Indians, 
set out with ns, and when we came to the place 
where the troops were, the Half-King sent two 
Indians to follow the track and discover their 
lodgement, which they did, in a very obscure 
place, surrounded with rocks. I thereupon, in 
conjunction with the Half-King and Monaca- 
toocha, formed a disposition to attack them 
on all sides, which we accordingly did, and af- 
ter an engagement of fifteen minutes, we kill- 
ed ten, wounded one, and took twenty-one 
prisoners. Amongst those killed was M. Ju- 
monville, the commander. The principal of- 
ficers taken are M. Drouillon and M. La Force, 
of whom 3^our honor has often heard me speak 
as a bold, enterprising man, and a person of 
great subtlety and cunning. These ofiicers pre- 
tend that they were coming on an embassy ; 
but the absurdity of this pretext is too glaring, 
as you will see by the instructions and sum. 
mons inclosed. 



PERILOUS POSITION". 65 

" Their instructions were to reconnoitre the 
country, roads, creeks, and the like, as far as 
the Potomac, which they were about to do. 

''These enterprising men were purposely 
chosen out to procure intelligence which they 
were to send back by some brisk despatch- 
es, with the mention of the day that they were 
to serve the summons^ which could be with no 
other view than to get reinforcements to fall 
upon us immediately after." 

The prisoners taken in the skirmish just de- 
scribed, were sent under a strong guard to 
Governor Dinwiddle, who was then at Win- 
chester. 

The situation of "Washington was now ex- 
tremely perilous, and he lost no time in 
strengthening his position, in expectation of 
an attack by a large body of the enemy. 

But there were other troubles which gave 
him quite as much anxiety. Scarcity began to 
prevail in the camp. On the 10th of June, 
the young officer writes to the Governor : 
"We have been six days without flour, and 
there is none upon the road for our relief 
that we know of, though I have, by repeated 
expresses given Croghan timely notice. We 
have not provisions of any sort in camp to 
C* 



66 LIFE OF WASHINGTON". 

serve us two days. Once before we should 
have been four days without provisions, if 
Providence had not sent a trader from the 
Ohio to our relief, for whose iiour I was obliged 
to give twenty-one shillings and eight pence 
per hundred." 

The Indian allies, finding the larder quite too 
lean for their keen appetites, abandoned Wash- 
ington in the midst of his difficulties. News 
was brought about this time, of the death of 
Colonel Fry, at Wills' Creek, and thus, at the 
age of twenty-three, the young officer found 
himself in command of the regiment. 

The fortification being now completed, it 
was most appropriately named Fort Necessity. 
The troops which had been under Colonel Fry, 
soon arrived, increasing the force in camp to 
three hundred, and among the new-comers 
was Dr. James Craik, a Scotch surgeon, whose 
name will frequently appear as the faithful 
and devoted friend of Washington. 

Governor Dinwiddle wrote word that Captain 
Mackay might soon be expected with an inde- 
pendent company of one hundred men from 
South Carolina. They were quite prompt in 
making their appearance, but as their leader 
had received his commission from the king, 



SKIRMISHINa. 67 

while Washington was merely a colonial offi- 
cer, they took upon themselves very unbecom- 
ing airs, and rendered very little assistance. 

It was during this season of perplexity and 
trouble that the young commander began to 
have public worship in the camp, when he 
generally officiated as chaplain. 

On the 11th of June he resumed the march 
for Redstone Creek. "When at Gist's establish- 
ment, about thirteen miles from Fort Necessity, 
Washington received intelligence that a large 
French force would soon be sent against him ; 
and it was thought best to retire to the Great 
Meadows, where they arrived greatly exhaust- 
ed on the first of July. Early on the morn- 
ing of the 3d, while all who were able to work 
were busy in strengthening the fort, a sentinel 
came in dangerously wounded, and the enemy 
gave other evidences of their presence. Skir- 
mishing was kept up during the day, and 
about eight o'clock at night Captain de Yil- 
liers (a brother-in-law of Jumonville who had 
been recently killed) requested a parley. After 
some hesitation arrangements were made, and 
as the only person among Washington's party 
who could speak French was dangerously 
wounded, the duty of representing the Eng- 



68 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

lisli on this important occasion, devolved upon 
Yan Braam, the Dutchman, who, for some 
time past, had been acting as captain. 

He returned twice with separate terms, in 
which the garrison was required to surrender, 
but they were considered too humiliating and 
were promptly rejected. He came back once 
more, with articles of capitulation written in 
French, and as pen and paper were not at hand, 
Yan Braam undertook to translate them by 
word of mouth. The rain fell in torrents, and 
it was with difficulty that the flickering can- 
dle was prevented from being extinguished, 
while in his bungling way, he read the sub- 
stance of the paper to Washington and his of- 
ficers, who stood around him. The main arti- 
cles as they understood them, and to which 
they-finally agreed, were these ; that the troops 
should march out of the fort with the honors 
of war, drums beating and colors flying, carry- 
ing with them all their eftects except the can- 
non, which were to be destroyed ; that for the 
space of a year, they should not attempt any 
buildings on the lands claimed by the French 
king, and that all should be allowed to return 
to the settlements without molestation from 
French or Indians. 



TOTE OF THANKS. 69 

The next morning Washington led forth his 
men, according to the promises of the capitula- 
tion, but they had hardly begun their march 
before they were pursued and plundered by 
the savages, and as the only means of prevent- 
ing them from securing so much valuable booty, 
the baggage and military stores were immedi- 
ately destroyed. 

The soldiers had a very fatiguing time, and 
it was only by seeing that their officers shared 
every privation and hardship with them, that 
they were encouraged to j)ersevere. "When 
Washington had brought them safely to Wills' 
Creek, where they found an ample supply of 
provisions, he hastened forward with Captain 
Mackay to Williamsburg to make his report 
to the Governor. 

The Virginia House of Burgesses,''^ while 
regretting the unfortunate result of the cam- 
paign, passed a vote of thanks to Washington 
and his officers, for their bravery, and gallant 
defence of their country. Two, however, were 
not included in this resolution ; — Major Mouse, 
who was charged with cowardice, and Jacob 
Van Braam, whose mistranslation of the arti- 

* Answering to the Legislature of our times. 



70 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

cles of capitulation led some to suspect him of 
treaclieiy. 

Thus far, owing to circumstances over 
which he had no control, Washington's mili- 
tary services, while they displayed his pru- 
dence and courage, had not secured for him 
many laurels. He had always been poorly 
provided with men, and horses, and the neces- 
sary equipments of war, and he seemed to be 
taking early lessons in what he was afterwards 
so eifectually to learn, — the secret of accom- 
plishing great things with very inadequate 
appliances and helps. 



CHAPTER SIXTH. 

Too much boasting — Governor Din-widdie forms plans to wipe 
away disgrace from the English arms — "Washington's opinion 
not very agreeable to him — The Colonial officers badly treat- 
ed — "Washington retires to Mount "V^ernon — Agricultural pur- 
suits — The British government arouses itself to action — An 
extensive campaign proposed — General Braddock invites 
"Washington to join the army — " I do wish George would stay 
at home !'' — The army contractors fail to keep their promises 
— Benjamin Franklin lends his aid in an emergency — Line of 
march — "Weighed down with baggage — Braddock obliged to 
lay aside some of his dignity — Advice given and accepted — 
The fashionable officers still insist on carrying their tnmks — 
"Washington's illness — His impatience to recover before the 
attack on the Fort. 

THE Frencli were so mueli elated by tlieir 
recent successes that tliev not only boasted 
a great deal, of theii* superior skill and prow- 
ess, but they began to be less watchful than 
usual, especially at Fort Duquesne. Governor 
Dinwiddle, who was extremely anxious to 
wipe away the disgrace which the English 
arms had suffered, began at once to plan an 
attack upon that important point. He applied 
to TTashington as one on whose judgment he 
might safely rely, — and the young officer dis- 
courao'ed him as far as he could : savino- that, 



72 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

with so feeble a force as could be collected, 
and esj)ecially as winter was approaching, 
another defeat would be the almost certain 
result. He thus expressed his opinion on the 
subject to Mr. William Fairfax, president of 
the council : " I have orders to complete my 
regiment, and not a sixpence is sent for that 
purpose. Can it be imagined that subjects fit 
for this service, who have been so much 
impressed with and alarmed at the want of 
provisions, which was a main objection to 
enlisting before, will more readily engage now 
without money, than they did before with it ? 
.... To show you the state of the regiment, I 
have sent you a report, by which you will 
perceive what great deficiencies there are of 
men, arms, tents, kettles, screws (which was a 
fatal want before), bayonets, cartouch-boxes, 
and every thing else. Again, were our men 
ever so willing to go, for want of the proper 
necessaries of life, they are now unable to do 
it. Tlie chief part are almost naked, and 
scarcely a man has either shoes, stockings, 
or a hat. These things the merchants will 
not credit them for. The country has made 
no provision; they have not money them- 
selves; — and it cannot be expected that the 



RESIGNS HIS COMMISSION. 73 

officers will engage for them again, personally, 
having suffered greatly on this head already. 
.... There is not a man that has a blanket to 
secure him from cold or wet." 

The arbitrary and self-willed governor did 
not like the view which Washington took of 
the matter; and in order to bring him, and 
others who sympathized with him, to his own 
way of thinking, he wrote a private letter to 
England, advising that a law should be passed, 
making the colonial officers inferior in rank to 
those of equal title who should be sent over 
from the mother country. The only effect of 
this injudicious and unjust arrangement, was 
to disgust all officers of the army who were 
Americans by birth ; — and Washington showed 
what he thought of it by instantly resigning 
his commission. Thus delivered from the 
weight of public cares, by which he had been 
sadly oppressed, he took up his abode at 
Mount Yernon, and made his arrangements to 
engage in agricultural pursuits, for which he 
had always manifested a decided taste. He 
also visited his honored mother, and so far as 
possible for him to do so, he became a second 
father to the family. 

But this season of repose, which was so 
7 



74r LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

grateful after years of toil and exposure, was 
soon to be disturbed. The British govern- 
ment determined that most decided measures 
should be taken to resist the encroachments 
of the French in America, — and an extended 
plan of operations was devised for 1755. It 
was proposed to drive the French from the 
lands which they held imjustly, in the prov- 
ince of I^ova Scotia, to dislodge them from a 
fortress which they had built at Crown Point, 
on Lake Champlain, and from the one at 
Niagara, and to oblige them to leave undis- 
turbed the frontiers of Pennsylvania and Yir- 
ginia, and the rich valley of the Ohio. 

General Braddock, an officer who had seen 
much service, was sent out from England as 
commander-in-chief of all the military forces 
in jN'orth America, — but it proved to be a 
most unfortunate appointment. The system 
of warfare in a country of swamps and wilder- 
nesses was so different from that to which he 
had been accustomed, that his previous expe- 
rience availed him little. 

He had discernment enough to discover 
that a man of Washington's character, and his 
acquaintance with the habits of the Indian 
tribes, might prove of great assistance to him. 



AIDE-DE-CAMP TO BEADDOCK. 75 

and lie tlierefore fortliwitli invited liim to 
become liis aide-de-camp. 

In order to accept tliis position, Washington 
must sacrifice his private interests — bnt at the 
same time, it would enable him to indulge his 
passion for military affairs, with no compro- 
mise of dignity and self-respect. He accord- 
ingly consented to serve, and began to arrange 
his affairs. As soon as his mother heard of it, 
she hastened to Mount Yernon, and entreated 
him to change his purpose, — expressing the 
sincere desire of her heart, when she said to a 
friend, " Oh dear ! — I do wish George would 
stay at home, and take care of his plantation !" 
He had once, as a dutiful son, yielded to her 
desires, and resigned his appointment in the 
navy ; but now, as a full-grown man, he felt 
that his services were due to his countr}^ 

Braddock, whose head - quarters were at 
Alexandria, gave Washington a most cour- 
teous reception, and the young officer entered 
with spirit upon the duties assigned him. The 
English general, with all his anxiety to pro- 
ceed, was exceedingly vexed by the failure of 
contractors to furnish him with the necessary 
wagons and horses, and his temper might have 
been much more severely tried, had not Benja- 



Y6 LIFE OF WASIIINGTOK. 

mill Franklin lent liis aid in tliis emergency. 
The shrewd American having expressed the 
opinion that the ambuscades of the Indians 
might present a serions obstruction to the prog- 
ress of the army, the haughty Briton could not 
conceal his disdain. " He smiled at my ig- 
norance [says Dr. Franklin], and replied: 
'These savages may indeed be a formidable 
enemy to raw American militia, but upon the 
king's regular and disciplined troops, sir, it is 
impossible they should make an impression.' 
I was conscious of an impropriety in my dis- 
puting with a military man in matters of his 
profession, and said no more.""^' 

Setting out from Alexandria, in Virginia, 
the army marched to Fort Cumberland, in 
Maryland ; thence to Little Meadows, to Fort 
l^ecessity, and to Great Meadows, in Pennsyl- 
vania, where Washington had commanded the 
year before. 

The young aide-de-camp, who knew well 
the difficulties of travelling through so wild 
a region, was very much astonished when he 
saw what a quantity of baggage the English 
officers insisted on carrying along with them, 

* Autobiography of Franklin. Sparks' Edition, p. 190. 



ADVICE TO BRADDOCK. 77 

and at every halting -j)lace, he diligently 
studied the arrangement and discipline of the 
army. The march over the mountains, after 
a little experience in the matter, proved to 
be such a formidable undertaking, and there 
were so many vexatious delays, in consequence 
of the difficulty of dragging the heavily laden 
wagons up the steep and rugged roads, that 
by the time they reached the Little Meadows 
(June 16), Braddock condescended to ask 
Washington's advice. This was a sore trial 
for one so proud and obstinate, but he was 
now convinced that the sagacity and knowl- 
edge of the young Virginian might be of great 
service. From reports which had been re- 
ceived, the garrison at Fort Duquesne was at 
this time weak, but large reinforcements being 
shortly expected, the present was the moment 
for the English to strike an effective blow. 

Being thus unexpectedly called upon to give 
his opinion, Washington promptly, but mod- 
estly, recommended that the army should be 
divided ; and that while one part should be 
left behind, to come on slowly with the heavy 
guns and the baggage, the general should 
advance as speedily as possible, with his 
choice troops, and surprise the Fort. 



Y8 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Althoiigli tins sensible advice was accepted, 
it can hardly be said to liave been acted upon. 
Twelve Imndred men were indeed selected, to 
form tlie first division, and Washington, taking 
w^itli him only one small trnnk, gave np his best 
steed as a pack-horse ; bnt the English officers, 
many of whom had been brought up in fash- 
ionable life, still insisted on carrying such an 
amount of baggage that the movements of the 
army w^ere seriously hindered. Moreover, 
Braddock, who had so long been accustomed 
to the regular and elaborate tactics of Europe, 
was satisfied to creep forward, stopping to 
level every mole-hill, and to erect bridges 
over every brook. 

For several days Washington had been 
suffering from fever, accompanied by intense 
headache, and at length he became so serious- 
ly ill, that he was ordered by the general to 
remain behind. He would only consent to 
this arrangement on Braddock's promising 
that he should be allowed to rejoin the ad- 
vanced part of the army before the attack on 
Fort Duquesne. He would not miss this (he 
wrote to Lieutenant Orme, another aide-de- 
camp), for five hundred pounds. 

By the 3d of July, the impatient young 



THOUGH SICK, GOES TO CAMP. T9 

officer found himself able to leave his sick 
bed; but being still too weak to mount his 
horse, he set off with an escort in a covered 
wagon, and reached the camp the day before 
the battle. 



CIIAPTEE SEVENTH. 

A grand military display — Passage of tlie Monongaliela — March- 
ing through a dangerous pass — The General takes his own 
heed, and is not the better for it— The firing begins— Savage 
yells which cause the rocks to re-echo — Panic of the troops — 
Braddock storms and raves— No lack of bravery— The oflB.cers 
cut down, one by one — The whole English line surrounded — 
Braddock disdains to yield— The drums sound a retreat— The 
general receives a mortal wound — Eefuses to be carried from 
the field— Washington tries to collect the scattered troops, 
aTid lead them off in safety— Death of Braddock — A solemn 
burial — Washington attributes his marvellous preservation to 
the right source — "I expected every moment to see him fall" 
— A curious circumstance — The favorite of Heaven, who 
could not be killed in battle. 

ON tlie 9 til of July, the English forces turn- 
ed out in full array, with bayonets fixed, 
colors flying, and drums beating, and crossing 
a ford of the Monongaliela, they wound up its 
banks, and through the open forests, glittering 
in morning sunshine. Washington was often 
heard to observe, in after life, that the appear- 
ance of Braddock's troops, on this occasion, 
was the most splendid spectacle he had ever 
seen. 

About midday the army passed over a 
second ford, and began to ascend a rising 



BA^FTLE WITH THE INDIANS. 81 

ground, — the whole country about being cov- 
ered with long grass, bushes, and scattered 
trees, with no opening but a road about twelve 
feet wide, — and on both sides of this were 
deep ravines entirely concealed by the luxu- 
riant foliao'e. 

Washington had advised that Indian scouts, 
or Yirginian woodsmen, should be employed 
to explore such thickets, — but Braddock would 
not listen to the suggestion, and pushed on in 
proud contempt of the ambuscades of naked 
savages. Presently, the evil which had been 
apprehended came to pass. The advanced 
parties were suddenly attacked, — the firing 
being accompanied with such deafening yells 
as made the rocky sides of the mountains to 
re-echo fearfully. The only chance of safety 
was in scattering, and fighting in Indian fash- 
ion, from behind trees, — and this Braddock 
was too much wedded to the regular rules of 
warfare to do. He was a brave man, with all 
his faults, and tried to rally his men, while 
they insisted that " they would fight if they 
could see their enemy; but that it was use- 
less to fire at trees and bushes, and that they 
could not stand to be shot down by an invisi- 
ble foe." The panic was becoming almost 



82 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

tmiversal, when the Yirginian troops, who 
were accustomed to the Indian mode of war- 
fare, took post behind trees, and in this way 
afforded some protection to the regulars. 

" Foaming with rage and indignation, Brad- 
dock flew from rank to rank, with his own 
hands endeavoring to force his men into posi- 
tion. Four horses were shot under him, but 
mounting the fifth, he still strained every nerve 
to retrieve the ebbing fortunes of the day. His 
subordinates gallantly seconded his endeavors, 
throwing themselves from the saddle and ad- 
vancing by platoons, in the idle hope that 
their men would follow ; but only to rush 
upon their fate. The regular soldiery, deprived 
of their immediate commanders, and terrified 
at the incessant fall of their comrades, could 
not be brought to the charge ; while the pro- 
vincials, better skilled, sought in vain to cover 
themselves, and to meet the foe upon equal 
terms : for to the urgent entreaties of Wash- 
ington and Sir Peter Halket that the men 
might be permitted to leave the ranks and 
shelter themselves, the general turned a deaf 
ear. Wherever he saw a man skulkino^ behind 
a tree, he flew at once to the spot, and with 
curses on his cowardice, and blows witli the 



SLArGHTER OF THE ENGLISH. 83 

flat of his sworcl, drove him back into the 
open road. Wherever the distracted artillery- 
men saw a smoke arise, thither did they direct 
their aim ; and many of the flankers who had 
succeeded in obtaining the only position where 
they could be of any service, were thus shot 
down. Athwart the brow of the hill lay a 
large log, five feet in diameter, which Captain 
Waggoner, of the Virginian levies, resolved to 
take possession of. With shouldered firelocks 
he marched a party of eighty men to the spot, 
losing but three on the way; — and at once 
throwing themselves behind it, the remainder 
opened a hot fire upon the enemy. But no soon- 
er were the flash and the report of their pieces 
perceived by the mob behind, than a general 
discharge was poured upon the little band, by 
which fifty were slain outright, and the rest 
constrained to fly. 

" By this time, the afternoon was well ad- 
vanced, and the whole English line surrounded. 
The ammunition began to fail, and the artillery 
to flag; the baggage was warmly attacked, 
and a runner was despatched to the fort with 
the tidings that by set of sun not an English- 
man would be left alive upon the ground. Still, 
gathering counsel from despair, Braddock dis- 



84 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

dained to yield ; still strong in this point only 
of their discipline, his soldiers died by his side, 
palsied with fear, yet without one thought of 
craven flight. At last, when every aide but 
"Washington was struck down ; when the lives 
of the vast majority of officers had been sacri- 
ficed with a reckless intrepidity, a sublime 
self-devotion, that surpasses the power of lan- 
guage to express ; when scarce a third part of 
the whole army remained unscathed, and these 
incapable of aught save remaining to die, or 
till the word to retire was given ; at last, 
Braddock abandoned all hope of victory; 
and with a mien undaunted as in his proudest 
hour, ordered the drums to sound a retreat. 
The instant their faces were turned, the poor 
regulars lost every trace of the sustaining 
power of custom ; and the retreat became a 
headlong flight. ' Despite of all the efforts of 
the officers to the contrary, they ran,' says 
Washington, ' as sheep pursued by dogs, and 
it was impossible to rally them.' Beneath a 
large tree standing between the heads of the 
northernmost ravines, and while in the act of 
giving an order, Braddock received a mortal 
wound, — the ball passing through his right 
arm into the lungs. Falling from his horse. 



FLIGHT OF BEADDOCk's TROOPS. 85 

he lay helpless on the ground, surrpunded by 
the dead, abandoned by the living. l!Tot one 
of his transatlantic soldiery, ' who had served 
with the Duke,' could be prevailed upon to 
stay his headlong flight, and aid to bear his 
general from the field. Orme thought to 
tempt them with a purse containing sixty 
guineas ; but in such a moment even gold 
could not prevail upon a vulgar soul, and they 
rushed unheeding on. Disgusted at such 
pusillanimity, and his heart big with despair, 
Braddock refused to be removed, and bade the 
faithful friends who lingered by his side to 
provide for their own safety. He declared 
his resolution of leaving his own body on the 
field ; — the scene that had witnessed his dis- 
honor he desired should bury his shame. 
With manly affection, Orme disregarded his 
injunctions ; and Captain Stewart of Virginia 
(the commander of the light-horse which were 
attached to the general's person), with another 
American officer, hastening to Orme's relief, 
his body was placed first in a tumbrel, and 
afterwards upon a fresh horse, and thus borne 
away."* 

* History of Braddock's Expedition, by "Winthrop Sargent . 
—p. 229. 

8 



86 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

The flight now became general, and the 
French and Indians were only prevented from 
pursning their retreating enemies by the rich 
spoils which covered the battle-field. 

Washington had been distinguished, during 
the whole day, by his courage and presence of 
mind, — and when all was lost, he turned his 
attention towards collecting the scattered re- 
mains of the army, and providing for the 
wounded. 

On the night of June the IStli, they reached 
the Great Meadows, where Braddock died. 
It is said, that in liis last moments, lie apolo- 
gized to "Washington for the petulance with 
which he had rejected his advice, — and left 
him a favorite horse, and his faithful servant, 
Bishop, who had helped to carry him from the 
field. 

At day-break, on the morning of the 14th, 
the remains of the unfortunate general were 
committed to the ground, Washington reading 
the sublime burial service of the Church by 
torch-lic-ht. Faithful to his commander while 
he lived, he would not sufi:er him to want the 
customary rites of religion when dead.'^ 

* " The place of his grave is a few yards north of the prcsenti 



PRESERVATION IN DANGER. 87 

With the spirit of a true Christian, Washing- 
ton attributed his preservation, in the midst of 
so many and great dangers, to the watchful 
care of the Ahnight3^ " By the all-powerful 
dispensation of Providence [he writes to his 
brother John, shortly afterwards], I have been 
protected beyond all human probability, or 
expectation ; for I had four bullets through 
my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet 
escaped unhurt : although death was levelling 
my companions on every side of me." His 
friend, Dr. Craik, who was with him in this bat- 
tle, has been often heard to say, " I expected 
every moment to see him fall. Nothing but 
the superintending care of Providence could 
have saved him from the fate of all around 
him." 

In 1770, fifteen years after the battle of the 
Monongahela, Dr. Craik and Washington trav- 
elled together to the Western country with a 
party of woodsmen, to explore some wild lands. 



National Road, between the tifty-third and fifty-fourth mile 
from Cumberland, and about a mile west of the site of Fort 
Necessity, at the Great Meadows." — LossingU Field Book ofth« 
Jievolution, vol. ii., p. 479. 

A drawing of the forest oak which points out the grave of 
Braddock, is given in Sargent's history, before quoted, p. 280. 



88 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

When tliey reached the junction of the Great 
Kanawha and the Ohio, a company of Indians 
came to them, under the direction of an aged 
chief, who made known through an interpreter 
the object of their visit. The venerable warrior 
stated that during the battle of the Mononga- 
hela, he had singled out Colonel Washington 
as a conspicuous object, and had fired his rifle 
at him many times, besides directing his com- 
rades to do the same ; but that, to his utter as- 
tonishment, none of their bullets took effect. 
He was therefore convinced that the youthful 
hero was under the special guardianship of the 
Great Spirit ; and he came, after the lapse of 
many years, to pay homage to the man who 
was so evidently the favorite of heaven. 



CHAPTEE EIGHTH. 

Washington seeks for repose at Mount Yemon — Business be- 
come tangled by neglect — The French and Indians rejoicing 
at their unexpected victory — The whole country in consterna- 
tion — "Washington appointed Commander-in-chief of all the 
forces in Virginia — Preparations for a new campaign — Excite- 
ment at "Winchester — Three drunken soldiers produce a great 
sensation — Lack of money and supplies — Progress of the war 
at the North — "Washington sent to Boston, and the style in 
which he travelled — General Shirley settles the question in 
dispute — Stirring letter to the governor — The militia ordered 
out — Petty annoyances — A chain of forts to be established — 
Unsatisfactory correspondence with Governor Dinwiddle — 
Visit to Lord Loudoun— Standing up for one's rights — 
Never the officer of any king. 

AFTEE the disastrous defeat of Braddock, 
Colonel "Washington, who was still weak 
from his severe illness, accompanied the wound- 
ed officers to Fort Cumberland, and then hast- 
ened to Mount Yernon, where he arrived on the 
26tli of July, 1755. His business affairs had 
suffered sadly during his absence, and required 
his careful attention. 

The French and Indians now became more 
insolent than ever. And w^ell they might be, 
for it was something to be proud of, that a 
8* 



90 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Britisli army of three tliousand men liad been 
defeated by a small scouting party, numbering 
less than nine hundred, which had only been 
sent out to give a check to the enemy while 
the French commander might deliberate about 
abandoning the fort. The whole country was 
in consternation, and the colonies were con- 
vinced that they must take prompt measures 
for their own defence. The assembly met: 
governor Dinwiddle called for money; and 
forty thousand pounds were voted, and orders 
were issued for raising a regiment of a thou- 
sand men. In August, the command of all 
the forces in Yirginia was offered to Washing- 
ton, and although his mother again implored 
him not to expose himself any more to the 
dangers and losses of war, he thought that it 
would be wrong to refuse. This proof of the 
high position which he held in the confidence 
and affection of the people, must have been 
highly gratifying to a youth of three and 
twenty years. 

Washington fixed upon Winchester as his 
head-quarters, and he began, with his nsual 
promptness, to collect what was necessary for 
a new campaign. He found the little town in 
a great state of excitement, the country peo- 



THEEE DRUXKEX SOLDIERS. 91 

pie flocking in for protection, and all parties 
filled with dismay at the prospect of the hor- 
rors of war. The yoiino- commander exert- 
ed himself to the utmost to calm their anxi- 
eties, and he began to hope that he had not 
been unsuccessful, when a terrible report was 
circulated that the Indians were only a few 
miles off, burning and destroying all before 
them. Although "Wasliington did not believe 
the rumor, the people gave him no peace until 
he sallied forth at the head of forty men, all, in- 
deed, who had courage enough to go, and march- 
ed to the scene of action. " When we came 
there," he says in a letter, " whom should we 
find occasioning all this disturbance but three 
drunken soldiers of the light-horse, carousing, 
firing their pistols, and uttering the most un- 
heard-of imprecations." We can readily, ex- 
cuse him for being completely out of patience 
with the cowardly inhabitants, who thus allow- 
ed themselves to be frightened by so trifling a 
cause. 

Washington found a good deal of difficulty 
in persuading men to enlist, and he was so 
scantily supplied with money that he was 
frequently obliged to write to the governor, 
complaining of the wants of the soldiers. The 



92 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

military laws of the colony worked badly, 
and lie persevered until these were changed 
for the better. But while thus occupied with 
duties close at home, he watched the progress 
of the war at the North, where the French and 
Indians were carrying on hostilities in Canada 
and New York, and along the borders of the 
Ohio. 

Some difficult questions concerning military 
rank having been raised between Maryland 
and Virginia, which it was important to have 
settled before the opening of the campaign, 
Washington was sent to Boston to refer the 
matter to General Shirley, who, since Brad- 
dock's death, had been commander-in-chief of 
his Majesty's forces in North America. 

This journey of five hundred miles was ac- 
complished on horseback, in the depth of win- 
ter, the party being attended by their colored 
servants in livery ; creating no little sensation 
as they clattered through the streets of Phila- 
delphia, New York, and Boston. Washington's 
fame had preceded him, and he and the two 
Virginia officers who accompanied him, were 
everywhere cordially welcomed. Expectation 
was on tip-toe to see the young man who had 
60 early proved himself to be a hero, and none 



93 

could have been disappointed in his appearance 
and bearing. He was tall, well proportioned, 
with a handsome face, and a noble, military 
air, and was, withal, a superior horseman. 
Genei^al Shirley decided the disputed question 
favorably to Washington's views, and, after a 
pleasant visit at Boston, he set out on his re- 
turn to Yirginia. 

During the summer of 1756, the Indians were 
very active in burning the houses and murder- 
ing the families of the settlers on the western 
borders of the province, and those who escaped 
with their lives fled to Winchester for protec- 
tion. Women and children entreated Wash- 
ington to save them, and in the midst of these 
distressing circumstances, he thus wrote to the 
timid and time-servinoc Governor Dinwid- 
die : " I am too little acquainted, sir, with pa- 
thetic language to attempt a description of the 
people's distresses ; but I have a generous soul, 
sensible of wi'ongs, and swelling for redress. 
But what can I do ? I see their situation, know 
their danger, and particijDate in their sufferings, 
without having it in my power to give them 
further relief than uncertain promises. In 
short, I see inevitable destruction in so clear a 
light, that unless vigorous measures are taken 



94: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

by the Assembly, and speedy assistance sent 
from below, the poor mhabitants that are now 
in forts must unavoidably fall, while the re- 
mainder are flying before a barbarous foe. In 
fine, the melancholy situation of the people, 
the little prospect of assistance, the gross and 
scandalous abuse cast upon the officers in gen- 
eral, which reflects upon me in particular, for 
sufiering misconduct of such extraordinary 
kinds, and the distant prospect, if any, of 
gaining honor and reputation in the service, 
cause me to lament the hour that gave me a 
commission, and would induce me, at any 
other time than this of imminent danger, to 
resign, without one hesitating moment, a com- 
mand from which I never expect to reap either 
honor or benefit ; but, on the contrary, have 
almost an absolute certainty of incurring dis- 
pleasure below, while the murder of helpless 
families may be laid to my account here. 
The supplicating tears of the women, and mov- 
ing petitions of the men, melt me into such 
deadly sorrows, that I solemnly declare, if I 
know my own mind, I could ofl'er myself a 
willing sacrifice to the butchering enemy, pro- 
vided that would contribute to the people's 



PETTY AJmOYA^CBS. 95 

When the goTernor received this letter, he 
ordered out the militia ; but Washington soon 
discovered these to be the most troublesome 
and inefficient kind of soldiers. They had 
little idea of obedience to their superiors, and 
as soon as their brief period of service expired, 
they insisted on going home, no matter how 
indispensable it might be for them to remain. 
Indeed, the young commander was subjected 
to so many j)etty annoyances, that he would 
have thrown up his commission in disgust, if 
he had not been afraid of evil consequences to 
the country. 

A supply of money was now voted by the 
House of Burgesses, to be expended in the 
erection of a chain of forts along the frontier, 
extending across the Alleghanies, from the 
Potomac to the border of [N'orth Carolina. 

Washington did not approve of this plan, 
because of its expense, and the difficulty of 
providing men to guard so many distinct gar- 
risons, and he advised, instead, that a strong 
fort should be built at Winchester, which was 
a central point, where news could be most 
easily brought, and whence reinforcements 
could be speedily sent in any direction where 
they were needed. His judgment, however. 



96 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

was overruled, and although it was mortifying 
to him to have his practical suggestions thrown 
aside for others which he believed to be sure 
to fail, he quietly submitted to those whom he 
was expected to obey. 

For some time past, Washington had not 
been a favorite witii Governor Dinwiddie, and 
their correspondence had become stiff and 
formal. Whether or not the latter was per- 
plexed in mind by his daily cares, it is impos- 
sible to say, but he certainly sent orders to the 
young officer which were extremely ambiguous 
and unsatisfactory. 

Washington had advised that Fort Cumber- 
land should be abandoned, as being out of the 
way of Indian incursions, and requested direc- 
tions on the subject. ^'The following," says 
he, " is an exact copy of his answer : ' Fort 
Cumberland is a 'kincfs fort, and built chiefly 
at the charge of the colony ; therefore, proper- 
ly under our direction until a new governor is 
appointed.' IN'ow, whether I am to under- 
stand this ay or no to the plain, simple ques- 
tion asked, 'Is the fort to be continued or 
removed V I know not. But in all important 
matters I am directed in this ambiguous and 
uncertain way." 



LETTER TO LORD LOUDOUN. 97 

The wrong-headed goveruor, in order to 
oppose Washington's views as far as possible, 
and thus induce him to resign, had most of the 
troops withdrawn from Winchester and the 
frontier posts, where they were really indis- 
pensable, and stationed them at Fort Cumber- 
land, where they were almost useless. 

Washington had good reason to believe that 
Lord Loudoun, then commander-in-chief of the 
British forces in America, had been prejudiced 
against him by false statements, and he asked 
permission to go to Philadelphia, and learn 
from his lordship the plans for the next cam- 
paign. Leave was reluctantly granted ; and 
about a month before he set out, he wrote a 
letter to him, describing in plain words, the 
wretched condition of the militia system in 
Virginia, and expressing the hope that he and 
his reo'iment mio'ht receive commissions from 
the king. He concluded by referring, in deli- 
cate terms, to his unpleasant difficulties with 
Governor Dinwiddie, — thus showing that while 
his patriotism would not suffer him to resign, 
he had self-respect enough to defend his just 
rights. 

This explanatory letter secured for the 
writer a kind reception, and Lord Loudoun 
9 



98 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

consulted him on many points, and directed 
liim in future to correspond with Colonel Stan- 
wix, who became his devoted friend. He was 
disappointed, however, in not being able to 
have his regiment placed on the same footing 
with the regular army ; and so it came to j^ass 
that "Washington never was the officer of any 
king. 



CHAPTEE ISrmTH, 

"Washington protecting tlie frontier settlements — Governor 
Dinwiddie not more friendly than before — Another spell of 
sickness — The governor returns to England — Washington 
once more at the post of duty — A fresh expedition planned 
against Fort Duquesne — The young officer chosen a member 
of the House of Burgesses — A horseback ride from Winches- 
ter to "Williamsburg, and something important which grew out 
of it — A young and blooming widow — Dark hazel eyes and 
hair — An afternoon passing like a dream — Courtship finished 
in a brief space — Difficulties about the road — Six weeks wast- 
ed — Washington's advice discovered to be the best — Major 
Grant's party surprised and driven back — More prudent 
arrangements made — Fort Duquesne found deserted — The 
ruins strengthened and the name changed — Washington re- 
signs his commission — A grand wedding. 

THE Slimmer of 1757 was spent by Colonel 
Washington in protecting, with his feeble 
force, the settlements on the frontier. He had 
strongly urged that while the larger portion of 
the French troops were engaged at the North, 
an attack should be made on Fort Duquesne, 
which he had no doubt could be taken with- 
out much difficulty ; but Lord Loudoun would 
not agree to the plan. The unpleasant differ- 
ences with the governor continued as before, — 
and in l^ovember, Washington was so ill with 



100 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

fever and dysentery, that lie was obliged to 
leave liis command, and retire to Monnt Yer- 
non for the winter. He was much annoyed 
by this tedions sickness, and wrote to his 
friend Colonel Stanwix : "My constitution is 
much impaired, and nothing can retrieve it 
but the greatest care, and the most circum- 
sj)ect course of life. This being the case, as I 
have now no prospect left of preferment in the 
military way, and despair of rendering that 
immediate service which my country may 
require from the person commanding its troops, 
I have thoughts of quitting my command, and 
retiring from all public business, leaving my 
post to be filled by some other person more 
capable of the task, and who may, perhaps, 
have his endeavors crowned with better success 
than mine have been." 

"Washington's difficulties with Governor Din- 
widdie were happily brought to a close by the 
departure of that gentleman for England, in 
January, 1758. He had shown himself to be 
BO sordid, arrogant, and meddlesome, that few 
re2:retted this termination of his administration, 
beyond the small clique who had humored his 
caprices for the sake of enjoying his patronage. 

In April of the same year, Washington was 



PEOJECTED EXPEDITION. 101 

sufficiently recovered to resume his place at 
Fort Loudoun, — the name which had been 
given to the fortress at Winchester. His 
spirits were revived by the prospect that his 
favorite j)i'Oject for taking Fort Duquesne 
would soon be accomplished. He was again 
appointed commander-in-chief of the Yirginia 
troops, which formed one half of the force 
prepared for this important service. The 
other regiment was commanded by Colonel 
Byrd. The usual tedious and trj^ng delays 
must be endured, before the troops could be 
got ready for the expedition. One of the 
expedients for economy which was adopted at 
"Washington's suggestion, was that the officers 
and men should be attired in the Indian 
dress. 

While the young commander (now in his 
twenty-sixth year), was waiting for the army, 
he received permission to go from Fort Cum- 
berland to Winchester, where his election to a 
seat in the House of Burgesses took place ; but 
he declined the offer, preferring that his 
friends should manage that matter for him, 
while he remained at his post. Although 
there were three candidates for the office, 
Washington's merits were so thoroughly ap- 



102 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

preciatecl, that lie was elected by a large 
majority. 

We must go back, at this point," and relate 
an important circumstance which took place 
somewhat earlier in the season. Washington 
was sent from AVinchester to Williamsburg, to 
obtain from the Council of Yirginia the equip- 
ment which was absolutely necessary for the 
troops. He travelled on horseback, attended 
by his faithful servant, Bishop, and in crossing 
a branch of the York Kiver, he fell in com- 
pany with a Mr. Chambeiiayne, who lived in 
the neighborhood, and who urged him to dine 
at his house. At first, the young officer 
declined, but he found it impossible to resist 
the importunities of his companion. 

It will be proper to state, that Washington 
from his boyhood had been fond of the society 
of ladies, and well-authenticated stories are 
told of the sighs which he expended upon 
some lowland beauty, whose bright eyes had 
attracted his attention and made a deep im- 
pression on his heart. 

Among the guests at Mr. Chamberlayne's 
was a young and blooming widow, Mrs. Mar- 
tha Custis, daughter of Mr. John Dandridge, 
both patrician names in the province. Her 



MKS. MARTHA CUSTIS. 103 

husband, Daniel Farke Custis, had been dead 
about three years, leaving her with two young 
children, and a large fortune. She is repre- 
sented as being rather below the middle size, 
but extremely well shaped, with an agreeable 
countenance, dark hazel eyes and hair, and 
those frank, engaging manners, so captivating 
in Southern women. We are not informed 
whether Washington had met with her before ; 
probably not during her widowhood, as during 
that time he had been almost continually on 
the frontier. We have shown that with all 
his gravity and reserve, he was quickly sus- 
ceptible to female charms; and they may 
have had a greater eifect upon him when thus 
casually encountered, in fleeting moments 
snatched from the cares and perplexities and 
rude scenes of frontier warfare. At any rate, 
his heart appears to have been taken by surprise. 
" The dinner, which in those days was an 
earlier meal than at present, seemed all too 
short. The afternoon passed away like a 
dream. Bishop w^as punctual to the orders 
he had received on halting ; the horses pawed 
at the door, but for once Washington loitered 
in the path of duty. The horses were counter- 
manded, and it was not imtil the next morning 



104: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

that he was again in the saddle, spurring for 
Williamsburg. Happilj, the White House, 
the residence of Mrs. Custis, was in l^ew Kent 
County, at no great distance from that city, so 
that lie had opportunities of visiting her in the 
intervals of business. His time for courtship, 
however, was brief. Military duties called 
him back almost immediately to Winchester ; 
but he feared, should he leave the matter in 
suspense, some more enterprising rival might 
supplant him during his absence, as in the 
case of Miss Philipse, at New York. He im- 
proved, therefore, his brief opportunity to the 
utmost. The blooming widow had many suit- 
ors, but Washington was graced with that 
renown so ennobling in the eyes of woman. 
In a word, before they separated, they had 
mutually plighted their faith, and the mar- 
riiLge was to take place as soon as the cam- 
paign against Fort Duquesne was at an end." ■^"■ 
While arrangements were made for the 
expedition, Washington learned, very much to 
his surj)rise, that instead of following the road 
which had been made with so great toil and 
expense by Braddock's army, a new one was 

* Irving's Washington, vol, i., p. 277. 



WISE COUNSELS SLIGHTED. 105 

to be opened tliroiigli tlie heart of Pennsylva- 
nia. In vain did lie reason and remonstrate 
on the subject. As usual, however, when his 
wiser counsels were slighted, he showed no 
littleness in attempting to thwart the wishes 
of his superior officer, but set to work as 
cheerfully as if the plan was one in which he 
had the most perfect confidence. Six. weeks 
were thrown away in making a road of forty- 
five miles, — during which period the army, 
consisting of six thousand men, might have 
reached Fort Duquesne by the old road. 
They would have been certain to capture it, as 
the garrison then only numbered eight hun- 
dred. 

After the experience of a few weeks. Gen- 
eral Forbes, who commanded the expedition, 
discovered that AVashington was right, and 
called him to his counsels. It was very hard, 
however, for these conceited English officers 
to yield to the opinions of one so much young- 
er than themselves, and we have here another 
instance in which wisdom was learned too 
late. General Forbes adojDted Washington's 
suggestions in part, but when within fifty 
miles of Fort Duquesne, he insisted, in opposi- 
tion to his advice, on sending forward Major 



106 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Grant, with eight Imndred men, to reconnoitre 
the country aronnd the garrison, and bring 
back what information he could, as to the 
strength and position of the enemy. The en- 
terprise was conducted with great rashness, 
and the troops were beaten back with terrible 
loss. The only men who distinguished them- 
selves were a part of Washington's Virginia 
regiment, and their gallant conduct was high- 
ly complimented by General Forbes. 

By his own request, Washington and his 
regiment were placed in advance, to open the 
road, send out scouting j)arties, and repel the 
attacks of the Indians. As they approached 
the fort, they saw the ground covered with the 
whitening bones of those who had been slain 
at the time of Braddock's defeat, — mementoes 
not much calculated to raise the spirits of the 
weary troops. Every precaution was taken to 
guard against a surprise, and they expected, 
at any moment, to hear the Indian war-whoop. 

Fort Duquesne was found deserted, and 
partly destroyed by fire. The recent successes 
of the English in Canada had left the garrison 
without hope of assistance or supplies, and the 
commander had therefore made good his es- 
cape. On the 25th of l^ovember, Washington 



HIS MARRIAGE. 107 

marclied in, with the advanced guard, and 
planted the British flag on the smoking ruins. 
The fortress was repaired, and two hundred 
men left to garrison it, under the name of 
Fort Pitt. 

Washington had been in active service for 
five years ; and as the campaign was now 
brought to a close, he resigned his commission, 
and retired from the camp, followed bj the 
applause of his fellow-soldiers, and the grati- 
tude of his countrymen. 

His marriage with Mrs. Custis was celebrat- 
ed on the 6th of January, 1759, at the residence 
of the bride. A large company of relatives 
and friends graced the occasion with their 
presence, and all the customs of old Yirginia 
hospitality were duly observed. 



CHAPTEE TENTH. 

Almost a life of seclusion — " Sit down, Mr. Washington" — A 
quiet member of the House — The mansion at Mount Vernon 
— An indulgent master — The plantation producing every- 
thing within itself— Handsome style of living — Chariot and 
four — Multitude of visitors — A compliment paid to rigid hon- 
esty — Mrs. Washington's domestic duties — A hundred and 
one cows — Sending to London for articles of elegance and 
luxury — John Parke Custis and his sister Patsey — Washing- 
ton a vestryman of two parishes — Eegular attendance at 
church — The children provided with Bibles and Prayer-books 
— Devout behavior at church — Pohick Church — A new one 
to be built — Quiet way of settling a difficulty — A modern tour- 
ist visits the sacred place — Christ Church, Alexandria — At- 
tention to the duty of private devotion — "We are not entirely 
graceless at Mount Vernon !" 

DIJRIKG the fifteen years wliicli followed 
his marriage, "Washington enjoyed a life 
of almost total seclusion from the world, and 
it will afford us a pleasant relief, after the 
stirring scenes through which we have passed, 
to go with him, in imagination, to his quiet 
and happy home. 

We mentioned, before, that he had been 
elected a member of the House of Burgesses. 
When he first took his seat, in 1759, not long 
after his marriage, Mr. Robinson, the presiding 



MODEST y AND VALOK. 109 

officer, in eloquent language, returned tlianks 
to him, in behalf of the colon j, for his distin- 
guished military services during the war. 

Washington, who was never a fluent speak- 
er, was so overcome by embarrassment, that 
when he rose to reply, he blushed, stammered, 
and trembled, and could not utter a word. 
Mr. Bobinson, who knew and loved him, said, 
with a smile, " Sit down, Mr. Washington, sit 
down, sir ; your modesty equals your valor, 
and that surpasses the power of any language 
I possess." 

Although the new member of the House 
took little part in its debates, he always care- 
'fully studied each day's business, and thus pre- 
pared himself to vote understandingly on 
every question as it came up. At the close of 
the session, he retired with his bride to his 
favorite abode of Mount Yernon.'^ The man- 
sion was beautifully situated on a swelling 



* The Editor of the Banner of the Cross thus writes, in the 
suminer of 1858 

" In lately sailing down the Potomac, we were much impress- 
ed by the solemn tolling of the steamboat bell as we passed 
the hallowed spot where rest the mortal remains of the illus- 
trious Washington. The touching custom is never omitted, 
and it is said that for half a century it has been observed by 
every boat or ship while passing the sacred shade." 
10 



110 LIFE OF WASHINGTOJT. 

height, crowned witli wood, and commanding 
a fine view of the Potomac. The gromids 
around were laid out with taste, and the large 
estate was divided into separate farms, devot- 
ed to different kinds of culture. 

Washington owned many colored servants, 
who always found him a kind and indulgent 
master. Among these were tailors, shoemak- 
ers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and wheelwrights, 
so that the j>lantation produced every thing 
within itself for ordinary use. 

By his marriage, Washington had added 
more than a hundred thousand dollars to his 
fortune, which was considerable before, so that 
he was now enabled to live in handsome style. 
A chariot and four, with servants in livery, was 
kept for the use of his wife and her lady visit- 
ors, while he himself always preferred to ride 
on horseback. They entertained a good deal 
of company, and that, too, in a manner corre- 
sponding with their abundant means, and the 
generous hospitality of the times. The officers 
of British ships which anchored in the Poto- 
mac, were often guests at Mount Yernon. 
Those who chose were furnished with fine 
horses and dogs, for the exciting and then 
fashionable sport of fox-hunting. 



A HTXDEED AXD OXE COWS. Ill 

In the midst of all tliis gayety, Washington 
found time to attend to his farming operations, 
and his accounts were all kept with the greatest 
accuracy and care. He attended in person to 
the shipping of his tobacco, and foreign mer- 
chants were so sure that whatever came to 
them with, the Mount Yernon brand would be 
of the precise quality and quantity represent- 
ed, that they bad no trouble in looking to tbese 
points themselves. 

The constant flow of comj^any to tbis charm- 
ing spot obliged Mrs. Washington to attend 
closely to her domestic duties, and we may 
judge of the expense of keeping up such an es- 
tablishment from a single expression in one of 
her husband's letters : '• Would any person 
believe," he says, " that with a hundred and 
one coics, actually reported at a late enumera- 
tion of the cattle, I should still be obliged to 
buy butter for my family V 

When any articles of fashion and elegance 
were required, they were ordered directly from 
London.^ Washington's letters contain exact 



* Several invoices of goods, <Src., brought from England, will 
be found copied in Mrs. Kirkland's interesting memoirs of 
Washington. 



112 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

orders for all the wants of tlie family, from the 
costl}^ clothing for himself and Mrs. Washing- 
ton, down to the book or the puzzle for the 
amusement of her children. 

"VVe shonld have mentioned before that there 
were two, a boy of six years, John Parke Cus- 
tis, and a girl of four, Martha Parke Custis. 
Their father left them a handsome property, 
and after the marriao^e of their mother to Colo- 
nel Washington, he was appointed their guar- 
dian by a decree of the General Court. This 
sacred and delicate trust he discharged in the 
most faithful and judicious manner. 

Washington never had any children of his 
own, but the little boy and girl which were 
thus intrusted to his care, became very dear 
to him, and they honored and loved him as a 
father. His wife was a doting mother, and 
though he had much care and trouble in at- 
tending to their education, and managing their 
business, in no instance can the slightest ex- 
pression of impatience or want of sympathy 
on his part be detected. 

At the time of which we are speaking, 
the "Established" or Episcopal Church was 
predominant throughout Virginia, and every 
county was divided into parishes, as in England, 



EEVEEENTIAL AND DEVOUT. 113 

each witli its clinrch, its parsonage, and glebe. 
"Washington was a vesti-jman of two parishes, 
Fairfax and Truro ; the parochial church of 
the former being at Alexandria, ten miles from 
Mount Yernon, of the latter, at Pohick, about 
seven miles distant. He attended at one or 
other of these with his family every Sun- 
day, except when the weather was too inclem- 
ent, and in such cases he read the Church 
service in the parlor at home. 

His demeanor in church was always rever- 
ential and devout. He bore his part in the 
responses, and bowed his head at the mention 
of the name of Jesus in the Creed. Mrs. 
Washington and himself were both communi- 
cants. As soon as the Custis children were 
old enough, they were instructed in the Church 
Catechism, and when John Parke was eight 
years old, and his sister Patsey six, their kind 
stepfather writes to London for " a neat, small 
Bible and Prayer-book, bound in Turkey," for 
each of them, with their names " in the inside of 
the cover in gilt letters." 

The Eev. Lee Massey, who once had charge 
of Pohick Church, remarked : " I never knew 
so constant an attendant at church as Wash- 
ington. His behavior in the house of God 
10* 



114 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

was ever so reverential that it produced the 
happiest effects on my congregation, and great- 
ly assisted me in my pulpit labors. No com- 
pany ever kept him from church." * 

Pohick Church derived its curious name 
from a small river near it. Mount Yernon 
was in Truro parish, and when the old place 
of worship went to decay, there was consider- 
able excitement among the people as to the lo- 
cation of the new one. A meeting for settling 
the question was finally held, and after George 
Mason had made a very pathetic speech, call- 
ing upon those present not to desert the spot 
which had been made sacred by the bones oi' 
their ancestors, Washington arose, and drew 
from his pocket an accurate survey of the whole 
parish, in which was marked the site of the old 
church, and the proposed location of the new 
one, with the residence of each parishioner. 
Having spread out the map, and briefly ex- 
plained it, he expressed the hope that they 
would not suffer their better judgments to be 
overruled by their feelings, and sat down. 
The silent argument of the map was perfectly 
convincing : the new site was determined 

* Bishop Meade's Old Cliurches, &c., vol. ii., p. 247. 



POIIICK CHUECH. 115 

on, and in 1765, Pohick Chiircli was built.''^ 
A large share of the expense incurred in its 
erection was borne by "Washington himself. 
When Christ Church, Alexandria, was finished, 
in 1773, although he had lately paid so much 
towards the church in Truro parish, he gave 
the highest price for a pew in it, which was 
occupied by himself and fdmily during his life, 
and has been by some of his name ever since. 



* A modern tourist thus descrUps his visit to this sacred 
place : " Within tliat venerated fane I awaited the slow gather- 
ing auditory for more than an hour. When they were all as- 
sembled, men and women, white and black, the whole congre- 
gation, including the writer, amounted to only twenty-one per- 
sons. What a contrast with former days, when some of the no- 
blest of the Virginia aristocracy filled these now deserted and 
dilapidated pews, while Massey or Weems performed the sol- 
emn and impressive ritual of the Church of England ! I sat in 
the pew near the pulpit, wherein Washington and his family 
Avere seated, Sunday after Sunday, for many years, and I look- 
ed with peculiar interest upon the Law, the Pbateb, and the 
Creed, inscribed upon the walls back of the chancel, on which 
a thousand times the eyes of the Washingtons, the Masons, 
the Fairfaxes, the Cofi'ers, and the Hendersons had rested. It 
was a melancholy sight to behold the dilapidation of that edi- 
fice, around which cluster so many associations of interest. A 
large portion of the panes of glass were broken out, admitting 
freely the wind and rain, the bats and the birds. The elaborately 
wrought pulpit, placed by itself on one side of the church, 
away from the chancel, was marred by desecrating hands. 
Under its sounding-board, a swallow had built its nest, and 



116 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

By the deaths and removals among the pa- 
rishioners, Poliick Church, in course of time, be- 
came nearly deserted, and Mr. Massey ceased 
to officiate there long before his death.* 

But it was not in the duties of public wor- 
ship alone that Washington was careful to bear 
his part. Probably few Christians have been 
more attentive to their private devotions, at all 
times, and in all circumstances. 'No matter 
how urgent the business which engaged his at- 
tention, he never forgot his daily dependence 
upon God, and that Ilis favor must be sought 
in earnest prayer. 

It may be pro2)erly added, as an evidence of 
his devotional habits, that he always said grace 
at table. On one occasion, from the force of 



upon the book-ledge of the sacred desk the fowls of the air had 
evidently perched. I thought of the words of the sweet sing- 
er of Israel : ' Yea, the sparrow has found a home, and the 
swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young, evert 
thine altai', Lord of hosts I' The chancel, too, is disfigured ; 
but the Law, the Prayer, and the Creed, painted on a 
blue ground above it, are quite perfect. The pews arc square, 
with seats upon three sides, and painted lead-color. Upon 
the doors of several of them yet remain the initials of the former 
occupants, among which I noticed those of George Mason, and 
George William Fairfax, who, with Washington, were the lead- 
ing men of the parish." — Lossimfs Field Booh^ vol. ii., p. 420. 
* Bishop Meade's Old Churches, &c., vol. ii., p. 233. 



GRACE AT MEAT. 117 

habit, he performed this duty when a clergy- 
man was present — an instance of indecorum 
quite unusnal with him. Being tokl of the in- 
civility, after the minister's departure, he ex- 
pressed his regret at the oversight, but added, 
" The reverend gentleman will at least be as- 
sured, that we are not entirely graceless at 
Mount Yernon I" 



CHAPTER ELEYEKTH. 

The lordly style in wliicli the Virguiia planters lived— Wash- 
ington's personal habits — Early rising — Frugal breakfast and 
a morning ride — Nothing of an epicure — Temperance lecture 
for his overseer — Drawing the seine for Potomac herrings-^ 
Canvas-back ducks — More sportsmen than were desired — 
Summary punishment of a bold offender— Scheme for drain- 
ing the Great Dismal Swamp— Settling the accounts of the 
French and Indian war — Washington makes a special journey 
to the Ohio — Revisiting a familiar spot — One of Braddock's 
old soldiers well provided for — Fighting his battles over again 
— A sad event — Washington's earnest prayers — Death of Miss 
Custis — A kind husband's attentions — The consolation which 
true religion alone can give. 

IN Wasliington's time, wlien the wealthy 
planters of Yirginia lived in a style which 
wonld not have disgraced the nobles of the 
mother country, most of them left the care of 
their estates to their overseers. He, however, 
was an exception to the rule, and the same 
method and circumspection that had distin- 
guished him in military life, were carried into 
his rural affairs. He was an early riser, and 
all was activity about him. In winter, when 
the nights were long, he was out of bed before 
daybreak, and, having kindled his own fire, he 
wrote and read by candlelight, which, by the 



HATKED OF EXCESSES. 119 

by, was a very bad thing for bis eyes. His 
frugal breakfast consisted of a moderate quan- 
tity of tea, and three or four cakes of Indian 
meal, immediately after which he mounted his 
horse, and rode to any part of the plantation 
where work was going on in which he felt a 
particular interest. Dinner was served at two 
o'clock, when he ate heartily, but with none 
of the tastes of an epicure. He always ob- 
served the rule adopted in his youth, " Make 
no show of taking great delight in your vict- 
uals, neither find fault with what you eat." 

"Washington hated excess of every kind, and 
so far as personal habits went, tobacco was an 
abomination to him. One of his letters has 
been preserved, addressed to his overseer, 
which shows what he thought of hard drink- 
ing. We quote a part of it : 

" I shall not close this letter without exhort- 
ing you to refrain from spirituous liquors ; they 
will prove your ruin if you do not. Consider 
how little a drunken man differs from a beast ; 
the latter is not endowed with reason, the for- 
mer deprives himself of it ; and when that is 
the case, acts like a brute, annoying and dis- 
turbing every one around him : nor is this all, 



120 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

nor, as it respects himself, tlie worst of it. By- 
degrees it renders a person feeble, and not only 
unable to serve others, bnt to help himself; 
and being an act of his own, he falls from a 
state of nsefulness into contempt, and at length 
snifers, if not perishes, in penniy and want. 
Don't let this be yonr case. Show yourself 
more of a man and a Christian than to yield 
to so intolerable a vice, which cannot, I am 
certain (to the greatest lover of liquor), give 
more pleasure to sip in the poison (for it is no 
better), than the consequence of it in bad be- 
havior at the moment, and the more serious 
evils produced by it afterwards, must give 
pain. I am your friend, 

George Washington." 

The waters of the Potomac abounded in fish, 
which were not only caught in the ordinary 
way, with hook and line, but when the her- 
rings came up the river in shoals, the negroes 
of Mount Yernon drew the seine with great 
success. 

Canvas-back ducks and other game attracted 
many sportsmen to Washington's domain, the 
presence of some of whom was far from being 
desirable. On one occasion, when the creeks 



REGARD FOR GENERAL GOOD. 121 

and inlets which bordered the estate had been 
infested for some time by a troublesome char- 
acter who had made great havoc among the 
feathered tribe, and who had been repeatedly 
warned to cease his depredations, Washington, 
in riding abont the estate, discovered the in- 
truder, just pushing oif his canoe from the 
shore. As he dashed through the bushes to 
seize the offender, the latter raised his gun and 
threatened to strike, when Washington sprang 
from his horse, dragged the canoe to land, and 
administered such summary punishment upon 
the astonished vagabond, as would furnish him 
a wholesome lesson for some time to come. 

But it is not to be supposed that Washing- 
ton confined his thoughts to his own plantation. 
At one time we find him actively engaged in 
a scheme for draining the Great Dismal Swamp, 
in order that it might be rendered fit for culti- 
vation; and again he appears as one of the 
Virginia Board of Commissioners for settling 
the accounts of the French and Indian war. 

Governor Dinwiddle had promised, in one 
of his proclamations, two hundred thousand 
acres of land to the ofiicers and soldiers, to be 
divided among them according to rank ; and 
Washington so far interested himself in the 
11 



122 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

matter, as to make a special journey to the 
Oliio Kiver to examine the state of the country. 
This was in the autumn of 1770. He was ac- 
comiDanied by Dr. Craik, who had been with 
him in an earlier expedition, which our read- 
ers will be sure to remember. The business 
of the journey was successfully accomj^lished, 
and Washington marked the land selected for 
the soldiers, and that which belonged to him- 
self. It was very well that he did not tarry 
long in that unsettled region, as the Indians, 
who had manifested a hostile disposition a lit- 
tle while before his visit, had another outbreak 
soon after his return. 

Washington and his comj)amon must have 
had strange feelings as they stopped at the old 
site of Fort Duquesne, where, by this time, a 
small town, called Pittsburg, had sprung up. 
It was during this journey that the old Indian 
chief made the strange communication related 
in a former chapter. This brief sojourn in 
those regions where Washington's military ca- 
reer began, brings to mind a little circumstance 
which shows his kindness of heart. An old 
soldier who had been an attendant of General 
Braddock during his fatal expedition, and at 
his death entered into the service of Washing- 



DEATH OF MISS CUSTIS. rZ6 

ton, found a quiet home, at the close of the 
war, beneath the shades of Mount Yernon. 
Children took great delight in visiting the cot- 
tage of the aged veteran, and in listening to 
the story of the past, and when Washington 
was passing round his farm, he often stopped 
to gladden the heart of the graj-headed veteran 
with kind words. Here the old soldier lived 
to enjoy the comforts which had been provided 
for him, until he attained his eightieth year. 

Before we are called away from these tran- 
quil scenes by the stirring notes of war, it will 
be well to refer to a sad event which cast a 
cloud of gloom over the bright sunshine which 
had so long beamed upon the inmates of the 
^jn^ansion at Mount Yernon. 

Mrs. Washington's beloved daughter died 
on the 19th of June, 1773, aged seventeen 
years. She was naturally of a frail constitu- 
tion, and had for many months been gradually 
fading away. The heat of summer seemed 
rapidly to develope the seeds of consumption 
which were lurking in her system, and when 
her affectionate stepfather returned home, af- 
ter a short absence, he was shocked to discover 
the change. The tender and doting mother, 
upon whose watchful care the prolonged illness 



124: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

of the feeble child had made large drafts, was 
nearly overwhelmed with grief, and Washing- 
ton, falling on his knees at the bedside, prayed 
aloud, with many tears, that the loved one 
might be spared. 
^~ When the lingering pains of sickness were 
followed by the stillness and repose of death, 
the kind hnsband devoted himself to alleviate, 
as far as the most unremitting attentions conld, 
the sniFerings of his wife. He took her about 
the neighborhood on pleasant drives, and en- 
deavored, by exercise in the open air, and by 
the society of those she loved, to turn her 
thoughts from the too constant contemplation 
of her loss. But they were both Christians, 
and, in this season of sorrow, they experienced 
those comforts from above which alone can 
bind up the broken heart, and shed brightness 
upon the deep shadows of the tomb. 



CHAPTER TWELFTH. 

A great change in tlie feelings of the colonies towards the 
mother country — Plans for refilling his majesty's purse — 
Eespectful remonstrances — Patrick Henry's clarion notes — 
The Stamp-act, and the feelings of indignation which it 
aroused — Washington appointed a delegate to the first Con- 
gress — "What is it we are contending against?" — Congress 
meets at Philadelphia — A very dignified assembly — Proceed- 
ings kept secret — The first prayer in Congress — " It seems as 
if Heaven had ordained that psalm to be read on that morn- 
ing" — A solemn pause — Business begins in earnest — The 
greatest man in Congress — John Parke Custis grows weary 
of study, and proposes to visit Europe — His stepfather sets 
him to work again — A delicate case to manage — The young 
man at last has his way — Premature maiTiage. 

BETWEEN the close of the French and 
Indian war in 1Y63, and the year 1774, — 
the period to which we have now brought this 
history, — a great change had taken place in 
the feelings of the inhabitants of the American 
colonies and the mother country, — the en- 
dearing name by which England had hitherto 
been called. 

Liberty was the birthright of our people, 
and enjoyed so much as a thing of course, that 
they thought little about it until their sacred 



126 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

privileges were in danger of being lost. Ko 
subjects of the king bad ever been more loyal 
and devoted. Tliej drank bis liealtb, and 
fongbt bis battles, and always spoke of Eng- 
land as tbeir borne. By and by, wben bis 
majesty's purse was low, and Parliament 
was devising ways and means for filling 
it again, it was suggested tbat beavier taxes 
migbt be laid upon tlie colonies. It bas been 
supposed by some, tbat tbe glowing accounts 
wliicli tbe Englisb officers bad brought home 
concerning the expensive modes of living 
among tbe king's subjects beyond the seas, 
bad excited a desire to lay additional burdens 
upon them. Be this as it may, Parliament 
passed various laws for raising money, which 
the Americans considered as an infringement 
upon their liberty. The Assemblies of the 
different colonies accordingly sent respectful 
addresses to the king and his unwise counsel- 
lors, requesting that tbe system of taxation 
miglit be stopped, and insinuating very plainly, 
that their just rights could not safely be inter- 
fered with. 

His majesty was very foolish and stubborn, 
and the colonists were resolute and determined. 
The dutiful petitions of his bumble subjects 



STA^IP-ACT. 127 

only made him more insolent and presuming. 
^Neither party showed any disposition to yield, 
and so years passed on, while affairs grew 
worse and worse. Such a thinec as assertins: 
entire independence of the crown was not 
dreamed of nor desired. All that the colonists 
demanded was the freedom of English subjects. 
It was only after all their petitions had been 
rejected with contempt, that they began to use 
stronger terms, and to aim after something 
more. 

Washington watched the course of events 
with an anxious eye. He wished to be loyal 
to his king, but he could not submit to see his 
countrymen transformed into slaves. He was 
occupying his seat in the House of Burgesses, 
on the 29tli of May, 1Y65, when the subject of 
the stamp-act was discussed, and the clarion 
notes of Patrick Henry were heard, proclaim- 
ing that the General Assembly of Yirginia 
had the exclusive right to lay taxes upon the 
inhabitants, and that whoever maintained the 
contrary should be deemed an enemy to the 
colony. 

Washington returned to Mount Yernon 
with a troubled mind. The first of JSTovember 
came, the day on which the act was to go into 



128 LIFE OF WASHINGTON". 

operation, and tlie inliabitants of Boston and 
New York vied with each other in showing 
their indignation. Bells were tolled, and effi- 
gies burned, and so determined a spirit mani- 
fested that the king's officers did not dare to 
carry his commands into effect. 

The English government was resolved that 
the rebels should submit, and as the people of 
Boston had been first to show a spirit of resist- 
ance, armed troops were sent there to keep the 
peace. This excited the displeasure of the 
citizens, and they made many angry speeches 
in the town-hall and in the streets, and pub- 
lished sundry stirring appeals in the news- 
papers. Yirginia, with a generous spirit, 
sympathized with the sister colony, and twice 
the House of Burgesses was dissolved by the 
royal governor, on account of resolutions 
passed concerning the affairs of Massachusetts. 

Meanwhile, Washington had now so warmly 
espoused the cause of the colonies, that he 
was chosen a delegate to the first American 
Congress, which met at Philadelphia, in Sep- 
tember, 1YY4. His associates were Peyton 
Kandolph, Kichard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, 
Pichard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, and Ed- 
mund Pendleton. He entered into the great 



THE TAX QUESTION. 129 

family quarrel with a serious and determined 
mind, and in the fear of God. When the'" 
House of Burgesses appointed a day of humil- 
iation and prayer, in view of the important 
crisis which had arrived, he makes this brief, 
but significant record in his private note-book : 

" Jime 1st — AVednesday. Went to church, 
and fasted all day." "" 

His old friend, Bryan Fairfax, not being 
able to take such a decided stand against the 
encroachments of the English government as 
others had done, Washington addressed him a 
letter in these words : " What is it we are con- 
tending against? Is it against paying the 
duty of threepence a pound on tea, because 
burdensome ? ISTo, it is the right only that we 
have all along disputed ; and to this end we 
have already petitioned his majesty in as 
humble and dutiful a manner as subjects 
could do .... I think the Parliament of Great 
Britain have no more right to put their hands 
into my pocket, witliout my consent, than I 
have to put mine into yours ; and, this being 
already urged to them, in a firm but decent 
manner, by all the colonies, what reason is 
there to expect anything from their justice? 
.... For my own part, I shall not undertake 



130 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

to say where the line between Great Britain 
and her colonies shonld be drawn ; but I am 
clearly of opinion that one ought to be drawn, 
and our rights clearly ascertained." 

Congress met in a large room in Carpenter's 
Hall, Philadelphia, on Monday, September 
5th; fifty-one delegates being in attendance, 
representing all the colonies except Georgia. 
" It is such an assembly," whites John Adams, 
who was present, "as never before came to- 
gether on a sudden, in any part of the world. 
Here are fortunes, abilities, learning, elo- 
quence, acuteness, equal to any I ever met with 
in my life. Here is a diversity of religions, 
educations, manners, interests, such as it 
would seem impossible to unite in one plan of 
conduct." 

As some of the Colonies were represented 
by more delegates than others, the question 
came up whether they should vote by colonies, 
by the poll, or by interests. 

The noble Henry would not allow that there 
was any distinction or difference of interest 
among them. "All America," he said, "is 
thrown into one mass. Where are your land- 
marks, your boundaries of colonies? They 
are all thrown down. The distinctions be- 



PEAYER IN CONGRESS. 131 

tween Yirginians, Pennsjlvanians, Kew York- 
ers, and Xew Englanders, are no more. I aj^ 
NOT A Virginian, but an American." The 
days of our EejDublic would be many and 
peaceful, if all lier citizens clierislied such 
sentiments as these ! 

As the proceedings of the first Congress 
were not made public, little is known con- 
cerning the details. A resolution was propos- 
ed that the service of each day should be 
opened with prayer, and when some one 
objected that as the delegates were of different 
religious sects, they might not consent to unite 
in the same form of worship, Mr. Samuel 
Adams, himself a rigid Congregationalist, 
arose and said : " He would be willing to join 
in prayer with any gentleman of piety and 
virtue, whatever might be his cloth, provided 
he was a friend of his country." He then 
moved that the Rev. Mr. Duche, an eminent 
Episcopal clergyman of Philadelphia, should 
be invited to officiate as chaplain, and the 
resolution was carried. Mr. Peyton Randolph, 
the President of Congress, accordingly called 
upon Mr. Duche, who promised to attend. 

In the course of the day, a rumor reached 
Philadelphia, that the British had cannonaded 



132 LIFE OF WASHINGTON-. 

Eoston, so that when Congress assembled, on 
the morning of the Tth, the members were in 
a good deal of excitement ; and as they shook 
hands warmly with each other, they felt that 
they were brethren in a common cause. 
Punctual to the time, the Episcopal clergyman, 
arrayed in his official robes, and attended by 
his clerk, to assist in the responses, entered 
the room, and began the morning service, 
according to the directions of the Prayer- 
book. The regular portion of the Psalter for 
the day of the month contained the 35th 
Psalm, in which David prays for protection 
against his enemies : 

" Plead thou my cause, O Lord, with them 
that strive with me ; and fight thou against 
them that fight against me. 

"Lay hold upon the shield and buckler, 
and stand up to help me : 

"Bring forth the spear, and stop the way 
against them that persecute me : say unto my 
soul, I am thy salvation," &c. 

John Adams writes in a letter to his wife : 
" You must remember this was the morning 
after we heard the horrible rumor of the can- 
nonade of Boston. I never saw a greater efiect 
upon an audience. It seemed as if Heaven 



FITXES3 OF THE SERVICES. 133 

had ordained tliat psalm to be read on that 
morning. After this, Mr. Duche unexpectedly 
struck out into an extemporary prayer, which 
filled the bosom of every man present. Epis- 
copalian as he is, Dr. Cooper himself never 
prayed with such fervor, such ardor, such 
earnestness, and pathos, and in language so 
eloquent and sublime, for America, for the 
Congress, for the province of Massachusetts 
Bay, and especially the town of Boston. It has 
had an excellent effect on everybody here.''* 



* In Thatcher's Military Journal, under date of December, 
1777, is found a note containing the identical "first prayer in 
Congress," made by the Eev. Jacob Duche, a -gentleman of 
great eloquence. Here it is, an historical curiosity : 

" Lord, our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of 
kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all 
the dwellers on earth, and reignest with power supreme and 
uncontrolled over all the kingdoms, empires, and governments, 
look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these American 
States, who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor, and 
thrown themselves on thy gracious protection, desiring to be 
henceforth dependent only on thee : to thee they would appeal 
for the righteousness of their cause ; to thee they have appealed 
for the righteousness of their cause ; to thee do they now look 
up for that countenance and support which thou alone canst 
give. Take them, therefore, heavenly Father, under thy nur- 
turing care, give them wisdom in council and valor in the field, 
defeat the mahcious designs of our cruel adversaries, convince 
them of the unrighteousness of their cause ; and if they still 
persist in their sanguinary purposes, oh, let the voice of tliine 
12 



134: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Bishop White, then a young clergyman, 
was present on this interesting occasion, and 
remarked the devout behavior of Washing- 
ton, as he kneeled upon the floor, pouring out 
his heart for God's blessing on his country. 

When Congress was duly organized, there 
was a solemn, death-like silence, each member 
feeling a i'cluctancc to be the first to move in 
a business of such fearful moment. At length 
Patrick Henry rose up and delivered that 
eloquent and soul-stirring speech which so 
many thousands of his young countrymen have 
since recited on the stage. As he closed with 
the noble sentiment, " Give one liherty, or give 
me death .'" every one seemed awe-struck, and 



own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them 
to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the 
day of battle ! Be thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct 
the councils of this honorable assembly ; enable them to settle 
thingtj on the best and surest foundation, that the scene of blood 
may be speedily closed, that order, harmony, and peace may 
be effectually restored; and truth and justice, religion and pie- 
ty, prevail and flourish among thy people. Preserve the healtli 
of their bodies and the vigor of their minds ; shower down on 
them, and the millions they here represent, such temporal bless- 
ings as thou seest expedient for them in this world, and crown 
them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we 
ask, in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, thy 
Bon, our Saviour. Amen." 



GREAT m JUDGMENT. 135 

several momeuts elapsed before anotlier ^vord 
was littered. 

The blow was now striiclc, — all were ready 
for action, and business began in good earnest. 
Each man's powers were soon found out. 
Some were brilliant orators, who could rouse 
the enthusiasm of the rest ; some were learned 
lawyers, familiar with the British Constitu- 
tion ; some were skilful writers ; and some, 
not less useful in the work, possessed that 
plain common-sense, which enabled them to 
offer wise counsels, and to do their part at* 
every step of the grave proceedings of the 
assembly. Congress continued its sessions for 
lifty-one days, during which time many im- 
portant discussions took place, and various 
important measures were adopted. Patrick 
Henry, being asked on his return home whom 
he considered the greatest man in Congress, 
replied : " If you speak of eloquence, Mr. Rut- 
ledge, of South Carolina, is by far the greatest 
orator ; but if you speak of solid information 
and sounti judgment, Colonel Washington is 
unquestionably the greatest man on that lloor." 

As soon as his duties in Philadelphia were 
brought to a close, Washington hastened back 
to Mount Yernon, where his presence was more 



136 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

tliaii usually important to tlie happiness of his 
afflicted wife, who had not yet recovered from 
the shock occasioned by the death of her be- 
loved daughter. 

While referring to family matters, we may 
as well say something here of Mrs. Washing- 
ton's son, John Parke Custis. Born to afflu- 
ence, and with an indulgent mother, he could 
not be expected to apply himself very closely 
to his studies, and he was too ready to avail 
himself of any favorable excuse for taking part 
in a fox-hunt, or some other favorite amuse- 
ment. He had been placed under the care of 
the Kev. Jonathan Boucher^ — an Episcopal 
clergyman at Annapolis — but his tutor does 
not appear to have been very strict in his dis- 
cipline. The young man imagined that it 
would be far more agreeable to travel about 
and see the world, than to be poring over his 
Latin and Greek, and he had actually formed 
his plans for a European tour, which it re- 
quired some decision on the part of his step- 
father to prevent. His impulsive nature now 
took a new direction, and he soon found him- 
self deeply in love. Washington, who was 

* An interesting account of this gentleman will be found in 
" Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit," vol. v., p. 211. 



CUSTIS' EAELY MAEEIAGE. 137 

quite as mucli opposed to premature marriage 
as to premature travel, wrote a very sensible 
letter to the father of the young lady (Benedict 
Calvert, Esq.), in which he stated that, while 
approving of the choice which his stepson had 
made, it would be better for all parties con- 
cerned, that he should spend a year or two in 
college, before taking so important a step. 
John Parke Custis was accordingly placed un- 
der the charge of the Rev. Dr. Cooper, presi- 
dent of King's (now Columbia) College, 'New 
York city, to pursue his studies there. All this 
took place before the death of his sister. With- 
in a year after this melancholy event, he be- 
came so restless under restraint, and so impa- 
tient for a union with the object of his choice, 
that his mother gave her consent, and Wash- 
ington no longer made any opposition to his 
wishes. 

The young couple were married on the 3d 
of February, 1Y74, before the bridegroom was 
twenty-one years of age. 

12* 



CHAPTER THIETEENTH. 

More English, troops landed at Boston — The colonists not yet 
prepared to declare their independence — Wa?sliington's opin- 
ion in his own words — Lending his aid in the formation of in- 
dependent companies— The second general Congress — Blood 
spilled — General Gage's soldiers are glad to escape from the 
wrath of the despised rebels — No more humble petitions to 
his majesty — Congress gives some important orders — A com- 
mander-in-chief to be chosen — Mr. Adams utters something 
like a compliment, and the gentleman referred to darts into 
another room — A wise choice — Washington's acceptance — No 
pay for services— Letter to one who will be startled by the 
tidings — Eeliance on Divine Providence — Drawing up a will 
— Just on the wing. 

DTJRIE'G tlie year 17T4, more English troops 
were landed at Boston, and the people be- 
came still more incensed against the govern- 
ment. They looked forward to serious troubles, 
and volunteer companies wele armed and 
drilled, but no one supposed, as yet, that the 
colonies would declare their independence of 
the mother country. 

On the 9th of October, Washington wrote 
to a British officer, then stationed at Boston : 
" Although you are taught to believe that the 
people of Massachusetts are rebellious — setting 



DEVOTION TO HIS COUNTEY. 139 

up for independence, and what not — give me 
leave, my good friend, to tell yon that you are 
abused, grossly abused. . . . Give me leave to 
add — and I think I can announce it as a fact — 
that it is not the wish or interest of that gov- 
ernment, or of any other upon this continent, 
separately or collectively, to set up for inde- 
pendence ; but this you may at the same time 
rely on, that none of them will ever submit to 
the loss of those valuable rights and privileges 
which are essential to the happiness of every 
free state, and without which, life, liberty, and 
property are rendered totally insecure." 

During Washington's sojourn at Mount Yer- 
non, after the adjournment of the first Con- 
gress, he was often called upon to give advice 
and instruction to the independent companies 
of Virginia, but he did not regret the time or 
the labor, as he had resolved to devote his life 
and his fortune to the service of his country. 

The second general Congress met at Phila- 
delphia on the 10th of May, 1775. The strong 
attachment which was felt for the mother coun- 
try kept alive the lingering hope that all diffi- 
culties might yet be satisfactorily arranged, 
but the determination was very decided among 
all, that their liberties should be preserved un- 



140 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

impaired. Blood liad already been spilled, 
and the spirit of indignation was at fever-lieat. 
On tlie 19tli of April, General Gage, the com- 
mander of the English troops at Boston, had 
sent out soldiers to Concord, Massachusetts, to 
seize upon some military stores. The country 
people at once took up arms, and the king's 
forces were glad to make all haste back to Bos- 
ton. The rebels were found to be no mere 
children, and the cry of blood went through 
the land. An army began at once to be formed 
about Boston — men flocked there with their 
firearms, and ofiicers who had learned experi- 
ence in the French and Indian wars were ready 
to instruct them. 

Meanwhile, it was proposed to Congress thaf. 
another humble and dutiful address should bo 
sent to his majesty, but the majority had now 
become so exasperated, that they would not 
listen to the suggestion, and the members pro- 
ceeded to arrange a union among the colonies. 
The plan agreed upon was this : each colony 
was to manage its own affairs, and Congress 
was to attend to all matters which concerned 
the whole. Orders were given for the enlist- 
ment of troops, the building of forts, and the 
collecting of arms and ammunition. Wash- 



COMMANDEE-IN-CHIEF. 141 

ington was the cliairman on military affairs, 
and his ability and promptness proved the wis- 
dom of the appointment. The next thing was 
to select a leader for the American army. Gen- 
eral Artemas Ward, a Massachnsetts man, of 
some experience in arms, had charge, at the 
time, of the troops abont Boston ; but some ob- 
jection being made to him, on the part of South- 
ern delegates, John Adams proposed, with 
great magnanimity, "a gentleman from Vir- 
ginia who is among ns, and very well known 
to ns all." "Washington was sitting near the 
door, and when he heard this reference to him- 
self he made his escape into the library room ; 
and during his absence, he was nominated, in 
due form, and elected by an unanimous vote. 
This was on the 15th of June. The next daj^, 
when Washington had resumed his seat, the 
president announced his election to him, when 
he rose and said, with some embarrassment : 
" Mk. President, though I am truly sensible 
of the high honor done me in this appointment, 
yet I feel great distress, from the consciousness 
that my abilities and military experience may 
not be equal to the extensive and important 
trust. However, as the Congress desire it, I 
will enter upon the momentous duty, and ex- 



142 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

ert every power I possess in their service, and 
for the support of the glorious cause. 

"I beg they will accej^t my most cordial 
thanks for this distinguished testimony of their 
approbation. 

" But, lest some unlucky event should happen 
unfortunate to my reputation, I beg it may be 
remembered by every gentleman in the room, 
that I this day declare, with the utmost sincer- 
ity, I do not think myself equal to the com- 
mand I am honored with. 

" As to pay, sir, I beg leave to assure the 
Congress that, as no pecuniary consideration 
could have tempted me to accept this arduous 
employment, at the expense of my domestic 
ease and happiness, I do not wish to make any 
profit from it. 

"I will keep an exact account of my ex- 
penses ; those, I doubt not, they will discharge, 
and that is all I desire." 

Having assumed this high responsibility, his 
thoughts recur to Mount Yernon, and he sits 
down and writes this letter to his beloved wife : 

"Philadelphia, June 18, 1775. 
" My Deaeest : — I am now set down to write 
to you on a subject which fills mc with inex- 



LETTER TO HIS WIFE. 143 

pressible concern, and this concern is greatly- 
aggravated and increased when I reflect upon 
the uneasiness I know it will give yon. It 
has been determined in Congress, that the 
whole army raised in defence of the American 
cause shall be put under my care, and that it 
is necessary for me to proceed immediately to 
Boston, to take upon me the command of it. 
You may believe me, my dear Patsey, when I 
assure you, in the most solemn manner, that, 
so far from seeking this appointment, I have 
used every endeavor in my power to avoid it, — 
not only from my unwillingness to part with 
you and the family, but from a consciousness 
of its being a trust too great for my capacity, 
and that I should enjoy more real haj)piness in 
one month with you at home, than I have the 
most distant prospect of finding abroad, if my 
stay were to be seven times seven years. But 
as it has been a kind of destiny that has thrown 
me upon this service, I shall hope that my un- 
dertaking it, is designed to answer some good 
purpose. You might, and I suppose did, per- 
ceive, from the tenor of my letters, that I was 
apprehensive I could not avoid this apj)oint- 
ment, as I did not pretend to intimate when I 
should return. That was the case. It was ut- 



144 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

terly out of my power to refuse this appoint- 
ment, without exposing my character to such 
censures as would have reflected dishonor upon 
myself, and given pain to my friends. This, I 
am sure, could not, and ought not, to be pleas- 
ing to you, and must have lessened me consid- 
erably in my own esteem. I shall rely, there- 
fore, confidently, on that Providence which has 
heretofore preserved and been bountiful to me, 
not doubting but that I shall return safe to you 
in the fall. I shall feel no pain from the toil 
or the danger of the campaign : my unhappi- 
ness will flow from the uneasiness I know you 
will feel from being left alone. I therefore beg 
that you will summon your whole fortitude, 
and pass your time as agreeably as possible. 
Nothing will give me so much sincere satisfac- 
tion as to hear this, and to hear it from your 
own pen. My earnest and ardent desire is, 
that you would j)ursue any plan that is most 
likely to produce content, and a tolerable de- 
gree of tranquillity ; as it must add greatly to 
my uneasy feelings to hear that you are dissat- 
isfied or complaining at what I really could 
not avoid. 

" As life is always uncertain, and common 
prudence dictates to every man the necessity 



AITOTHER LETTER. 145 

of settling his temporal concerns, while it is in 
liis power, and while the mind is calm and 
undisturbed, I have, since I came to this place 
(for I had no time to do it before I left home), 
got Col. Pendleton to draught a will for me, 
by the directions I gave him, which I will now 
inclose. The provision made for you in case 
of my death, will, I hope, be agreeable. 

" I shall add nothing more, as I have several 
letters to write, but to desire that you will 
remember me to your friends, and to assure 
you that I am, with the most unfeigned regard, 
my dear Patsey, 

" Your affectionate," &c. 

And again, as he was leaving Philadelphia : 

"Philadelphia, June 22, 1775. 
" My Dearest : — As I am within a few min- 
utes of leaving this city, I could not think of 
departing from it without dropping you a line, 
especially as I do not know whether it will be 
in my power to write again until I get to the 
camp at Boston. I go, fully trusting in that 
Providence which has been more bountiful to 
me than I deserve, and in full confidence of a 
happy meeting with you in the fall. 
13 



146 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

" I have not time to add more, as I am sur- 
romided by company to take leave of me. I 
retain an unalterable affection for yon, which 
neither time nor distance can change. 

" My best love to Jack and Nelly, and re- 
gards to the rest of the family, concludes me, 
with the utmost sincerity. 

Your entire, 

Geo. Washington." 



CHAPTER FOURTEEKTH. 

General "Washington sets out for Cambridge — Great curiosity to 
see him — Tidmgs from Bunker Hill— Only four barrels of 
powder in New York city — " The liberties of the country are 
safe !" — Not puffed up by honors and attentions — Arrival at 
Cambridge in a cloud of dust — Draws his sword as command- 
er-in-chief — Examining the country about Boston — Disap- 
pointment as to the size of the army — Trying to bring order 
out of confusion — Washington's first general order — All dis- 
tinctions of colonies to be laid aside — No profane swearing nor 
drunkenness allowed — Punctual attendance on Divine service 
required — Bird's-eye view of the camp — The English forces 
hemmed in — Provisions becoming scarce — An alarm about 
powder — American prisoners badly treated — Washington ex- 
postulates with General Gage, who returns an insolent answer 
— Severity in appearance only — The rebels not to be despised. 

GEISTERAL "WASHmGTOJSr set out from 
Philadelphia, on horseback, the 21st of 
June, to join the army at Cambridge, accom- 
panied by General Charles Lee, and General 
Philip Schuyler. 

The commander-in-chief was now in the 
vigor of his days, — being forty-three years of 
age. Of course, there was great curiosity to 
see him, and at every halting-place on the 
route crowds flocked together to give him 
a hearty welcome, — all being impressed by his 



148 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

stately pei-son, and calm and dignified deport- 
ment. 

Washington and his escort had not proceed- 
ed twenty miles from Philadelphia, before 
they met a horseman, under whip and spur, 
bearing to Congress the news of the first 
battle of the Revolution, — that of Bunker 
Hill. 

The "New Yorkers were glad enough to see 
the general, and his arrival was hailed with 
public honors; but they were obliged to be 
saving of their powder, as only four barrels of 
it were left in the city, the rest having all been 
sent to Cambridge, where it was more needed. 

At this point, Washington received full par- 
ticulars concerning the battle of Bunker Hill, 
and his first question was, how the militia had 
behaved. When told that they had stood 
their ground manfully, a weight of solicitudo 
was lifted from his heart and he exclaimed, 
with exultation, " The liberties of the country 
are safe !" 

When he reached Cambridge, the shouts of 
the multitude and the thundering of artillery 
informed the enemy, now shut up in Boston, 
of his arrival in the camp. 

His important position did not change his 



TAKING COiniAXD. 149 

character in the least, but he was the same 
modest, dignified, thoughtful man as before. 
All along the journey he had been consulting 
with his generals as to the best plan of opera- 
tions to be pursued, and the only effect of the 
acclamations of the public and the cheerings 
of the army was to remind him how much he 
was expected to accomplish, and that, alas, 
with means so wholly inadequate. 

On the morning of the 3d of July, the troops 
were arranged on the common at Cambridge, 
waiting to receive then- general, and at length 
he appeared, amid a cloud of dust, attended 
by his suite, all mounted on fine horses. 
Washington was recognized at once, and 
galloping forward, and wheeling his charger 
beneath a great elm, which still adorns the 
spot, he drew his sword, and flourishing it 
gracefully in the air, he took command, in 
form, of the armies of the United Colonies. 

He then rode, with General Lee, to all the 
fortified places and heights, that he might 
make himself familiar with the country about 
Boston. The commander-in-chief was disap- 
pointed in the size of the army, for instead of 
twenty thousand men, which he had expected 
to find, tliere were really but fourteen thou- 

13« 



150 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

sand, and these entirely undisciplined, and 
poorly provided with guns or clothes. 

His first object was to endeavor to introduce 
something like order where confusion had 
hitherto prevailed. Three grand divisions of 
the army were made, — the right wing being 
stationed at Roxbury, the left on Prospect and 
Winter Hills, and the centre at Cambridge. 

The first general order issued by Washing- 
ton was as follows : " The Continental Con- 
gress having now taken all the troops of the 
several colonies, which have been raised oi 
which may be hereafter raised for the support 
and defence of the liberties of America, into 
their pay and service, they are now the troops 
of the United Provinces of ISTorth America; 
and it is hoped that all distinctions of colonies 
will be laid aside, so that one and the same 
spirit may animate the whole, and the only 
contest be, who shall render, on this great and 
trying occasion, the most essential service to 
the great and common cause in which we are 
all engaged. It is required and expected that 
exact discipline be observed, and due subordi- 
nation prevail through the whole army ; as a 
failure in these most essential points must 
necessarily produce extreme hazard, disorder, 



DISCIPLINE. 151 

and confusion, and end in shameful disappoint- 
ment and disgrace. Tlie general most earnest- 
ly requires and expects a due observance of 
those articles of war established for the gov- 
ernment of the army, which forbid profane 
cursing, swearing, and drunkenness. And in 
like manner he requires and expects of all 
officers and soldiers, not engaged in actual 
duty, a punctual attendance on divine service, 
to implore the blessing of Heaven upon the 
means used for our safety and defence." 

An eye-witness has left the following graphic 
description of the appearance and condition of 
the American army at this time: "There is a 
great overturning in the camp, as to order and 
regularity. I^ew lords, new laws. The Gen- 
erals Washington and Lee are upon the lines 
every day. Kew oi'ders from his Excellency 
are read to the respective regiments every 
morning after prayers. The strictest govern- 
ment is taking place, and great distinction is 
made between officers and soldiers. 

" Every one is made to know his place, and 
keep in it, or be tied up and receive thirty or 
forty lashes according to his crime. Thou- 
sands are at work every day from four till eleven 
o'clock in the morning. It is surprising how 



152 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

much work has been done. The lines are 
extended almost from Cambridge to Mystic 
River, so that very soon it will be morally 
impossible for the enemy to get between the 
w^orks, except in one place, which is supposed 
to be left purposely unfortified to entice the 
enemy out of their fortresses. Who would 
have thought, twelve months past, that all 
Cambridge and Charlestown would be covered 
over with American camps, and cut np into 
forts and intrenchments, and all the lands, 
fields, orchards, laid common, horses and cat- 
tle feeding in the choicest mowing land, whole 
fields of corn eaten down to the ground, and 
large parks of well-regulated locusts cut down 
for firewood and other public uses? This, I 
must say, looks a little melancholy. My 
quarters are at the foot of the famous Pros- 
pect Hill, where such preparations are made 
for the reception of the enemy. It is very 
diverting to walk among the camps. They 
are as different in their forms as the owners 
are in their dress ; and every tent is a portrai- 
ture of the temper and tastes of the persons 
who encamp in it. Some are made of boards, 
and some of sail-cloth, some partly of the one 
and partly of the other. Again, others are 



AMERICAN CAMT. 153 

made of stone and tnrf, brick or brush. Some 
are thrown np in a huny, others curiously 
wrought, the doors and windows done with 
wi'eaths and withies in the manner of a basket. 
Some are your proper tents — marquees, looking 
like the regular camp of the enemy. In these 
are the Ehode Islanders, who are furnished 
with tent equipage and every thing in the 
most exact English style. However, I think 
this great variety is rather a beauty than a 
blemish in the army." 

As we are writing the life of Washington, 
and not the history of the American Rev^olu- 
tion at large, we can only bestow a passing 
glance upon those events in which he was not 
personally concerned. 

Our readers will bear in mind that the Eng- 
lish forces were now so hemmed in by the 
well-arranged line of the American army, as 
to be obliged to keep themselves closely con- 
fined to the limits of Boston. This they soon 
found to be a disagreeable position, as fresh 
provisions and vegetables were becoming both 
scarce and dear, all supplies from the country 
around being entirely cut off. 

"Washington hoped that the enemy would 
soon be reduced to such extremities that they 



154 LIFE OF WASHINGTON". 

would be glad to come out and engage in fair 
fight. On the first of August he was aston- 
ished and alarmed to find that but thirty-two 
barrels of powder remained to supply his 
whole army. Had the British been sure of 
this fact, they could easily have forced their 
way through the American ranks. Washing- 
ton wrote in haste to Congress, and to the 
governors of different colonies, to send all the 
powder which coukl possibly be obtained to 
supply the camp, for the peril of the troops 
was certainly imminent. In the course of two 
weeks a small quantity was received, but not 
enough to do much service. 

About this time great complaints were made 
of the way in which the American prisoners 
were treated by the British, and General 
Washington opened a correspondence with the 
commander-in-chief of the enemy's forces at 
Boston. This gentleman was none other than 
Colonel Gage, who had led the advanced troops 
at Braddock's defeat. 

The reply of the English general to the let- 
ter of Washington was so insolent in its tone, 
that justice required him to give directions that 
the same harsh treatment which was shown to 
the American prisoners, should be meted out 



THE REBELS NOT EABBLE. 155 

to the British soldiers who might fall into the 
hands of the colonists. 

At the same time this severity was in ap- 
pearance only, for it was not in Washington's 
nature to be unnecessarily harsh. He there- 
fore issued private orders that every proper 
indulgence and civility should be shown to 
the British prisoners. His letters to General 
Gage are models of epistolary writing ; and 
the latter afterwards remarked, in a communi- 
cation to Lord Dartmouth, '* The trials we have 
had, show the rebels are not the despicable 
rabble we have supposed them to be." 



CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. 

Affairs at Mount Vernon — What the British cruisers might 
easily have done — Mrs. Washington quite composed — Gen- 
eral Washington receives regular reports of the condition of 
his plantation — Ever mindful of the wants of the poor — A 
corn -ho use filled for their use — Free access to the fisheries — 
Mrs. Washington goes to Cambridge in her coach and four — 
The camp brightens up at her arrival — An amusement 
which is not common in our days — Expedition to Canada, 
and its result— The siege of Boston continues, and both 
parties become very tired of it — An introduction to several 
distinguished generals — Fitting up a theatre — "The Block- 
ade of Boston" — A drama of real life which puts a sudden 
end to sport — " Officers, to your alarm-posts !" — Disheart- 
ening circumstances — The evil of short enlistments keenly 
felt — Letter to Joseph Reed — A most undesirable position- 
Private prayer and public worship never neglected. 



W 



HILE Washington was thus devoting his 
time and energies to the public good, 
his thoughts must often have wandered back 
to his home in Virginia, and we will return 
there for a few moments, and inquire how 
matters are proceeding during his absence. 
His good lady must have had an ample sup- 
ply of courage to remain at Mount Yernon, 
by herself, as it would have been very easy 
for the English ships to sail up the Potomac, 



MINDFUL OF THE POOE. 157 

and take vengeance on the rebel commander, 
by destroying his house and scattering his fam- 
ily. When her neighbors kindly offered to 
arm themselves in her defence, she declined 
the proposal as being quite unnecessary. 

Washington's agent at this time enjoyed his 
highest confidence, and from him he received a 
minute account every few days as to the con- 
dition of the crops, and, indeed, of all the 
things relating to the plantation. 
-^ On the 26th of November, 1775, the gen- 
eral thus writes to him : " Let the hospitality 
of the house, with respect to the poor, be kept 
up. Let no one go hungry away. If any of 
this kind of people should be in want of corn, 
supply their necessities, provided it does not 
encourage them in idleness, and I have no ob- 
jection to your giving my money in charity, 
to the amount of forty or fifty pounds a year, 
when you think it well bestowed. What I 
mean by having no objection, is, that it is my 
desire that it shonld be done. You are to 
consider that neither myself nor wife is now in 
the way to do these good offices. Li all other 
respects, I recommend to you, and have no 
doubt of your observing, the greatest economy 
and frugality, as I suppose you know that I 
14 



158 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

do not get a farthing for my services here, 
more than my expenses. It becomes necessa- 
ry, therefore, for me to be saving at home." 

And while speaking on this subject, it will 
not be amiss to add, that one of the general's 
managers, after the war, records : " I had or- 
ders from General "Washington to fill a corn- 
house every year for the sole use of the poor 
in my neighborhood, to whom it was a most 
seasonable and precious relief, saving numbers 
of poor women and children from extreme 
want, and blessing them with plenty." 

He also set apart one of his best fisheries 

for the use of the same class of persons, and 

in case any of them were unequal to the task 

of drawing the seine, the overseer was direct- 

-^d to send servants to assist them. 

Mrs. Washington had hoped that her hus- 
band would be able to return home before 
winter ; but as circumstances placed this en- 
tirely out of his power, he wrote for her to 
come to him. In these days of steamboats 
and railroads it would be a short trip ; but as 
she travelled the whole way in her own car- 
riage, the journey occupied a month. She 
was escorted by her son, then lately married, 
and they received much attention in the cities 



DESIGNS ON CANADA. 159 

and towns tlirongli which they passed. The 
camp brightened up considerably on her arri- 
val ; and the pleasant dinner-parties which she 
gave reconciled the officers, in a measure, to 
the tedious routine of their daily life and their 
lack of ordinary comforts. 

Knitting was Mrs. "Washington's favorite 
employment, and even while entertaining her 
guests her industrious fingers were never idle. 

And now, that the general is beginning to 
feel somewhat at home in the camp, we will 
return once more to public affairs. In July of 
this year, Congress determined to take posses- 
sion of Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain, 
which had been captured some time before by 
some ]^ew England militia under the command 
of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold. The ob- 
ject of securing this fortress just now was to 
open the way for an expedition into Canada. 
It was believed that there were many persons 
there who sympathized with the Americans, 
and that with a little encouragement they 
might be induced to join our standard. 

General Schuyler was accordingly directed 
to proceed to Lake Champlain, and, with such 
troops as he found there, to make an attack upon 
Montreal. Meanwhile, Washington despatched 



160 LIFE OF WASHINGTON". 

Colonel Arnold, wlio liad proved liimself to be 
a bold and intrepid man, with another expedi- 
tion, which was to go to Canada by the Ken- 
nebec River, and, having seized Quebec, to 
join the forces under Schuyler. 

It will be enough for our purjDose to say that 
these well-concerted measures did not prove 
successful, and that only a small remnant of the 
American Army ever came back from that per- 
ilous campaign. 

The siege of Boston continued through the 
winter, and the British who were shut up with- 
in the city, and the Americans who were watch- 
ing them without, were growing very weary 
of so inactive and monotonous a life. 

As this is a favorable opportunity for so do- 
ing, we will introduce to our readers the more 
prominent officers of the two armies. Gener- 
al Gage had returned to England, and General 
Howe was the commander of the British troops 
in Boston. He is described as a man of fine 
personal appearance, polished manners, and a 
generous disposition. His defects as an officer 
were the want of energy and activity. Sir 
Henry Clinton, the next in command, was 
grandson of the Earl of Lincoln, who had for- 
merly been governor of the Province of I^ew 



GEEENE AKD PUTNAM. 161 

York. His manners were cold and reserved, 
and liis popularity mncli less than that of Gen- 
eral Howe. 

With the commander-in-chief of the Ameri- 
can army we are by this time pretty well ac- 
quainted. ISText to him, probably the most im- 
portant officer was General E"athaniel Greene, 
of Rhode Island, a brave and skilful soldier, 
and a true patriot. "Washington always found 
him a faithful friend, and his wise counsels 
were of eminent service in many trying cir- 
cumstances. 

General Israel Putnam, a plain, honest, old 
Connecticut farmer, is a man whose name will 
long be remembered with honor. One day, 
while he was ploughing in the field, a mes- 
senger on horseback galloped along, bringing 
the startling news of the battle of Lexington. 
Putnam immediately unharnessed his horse, 
mounted in hot haste, and rode full speed to 
Boston, where he joined the army. He was 
always decided, prompt, and fearless, and 
though possessed of little knowledge of the art 
of war, and full of odd conceits of his own, he 
exerted considerable influence, and was famil- 
iarly spoken of by officers and men as " Old 
Put." 

14* 



162 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

As we have brought characters enough upon 
the stage for our present purj)oses, we shall 
postpone further introductions until the devel- 
opment of the history shall require the aid of 
others. 

We were speaking just now of the tedious 
winter passed by the two armies during the 
siege of Boston. With a view of keeping alive 
the spirits of the troops, the English general 
had encouraged the fitting up of a theatre, 
where amusing plays were performed, which 
answered their purpose in the way of " killing 
time." 

On a certain night, an after-piece was to be 
performed, entitled " The Blockade of Boston," 
the object of which was to turn the rebel Yan- 
kees into ridicule, and to magnify the spirit 
and valor of the enemy. General Washington 
was made to play a conspicuous part as a great, 
awkward fellow, with a huge wig, and an old 
rusty sword, attended by a country booby as 
orderly sergeant, with a firelock seven or eight 
feet long. The theatre was crowded, and roars 
of laughter and boisterous applause fairly shook 
the house. Just at this time. General Putnam, 
who was always wide awake, was acting a 
drama of real life, by sending a party to sur- 



SHORT ENLISTMENTS. 16S 

prise tlie Britisli guard on Cobble Hill. All 
at once, when tlie company in the theatre were 
indulging in their noisy mirth, a sergeant made 
his appearance, and announced the danger 
which threatened. At first this was thought to 
be a part of the play, until General Howe, who 
was present, and who had been laughing very 
heartily with the rest, gave the order, " Officers, 
to your alarm-posts!" Great confusion fol- 
lowed. Ladies shrieked and fainted^ and all 
parties scrambled out of the theatre as fast as 
possible. 

With some things to cheer and encourage, 
"Washington had been obliged to contend with 
many others which produced a very disheart- 
ening effect. His army, consisting of the most 
ill-assorted materials, was miserably equipped 
for service, and what was worse than all, the 
short period for which the men had enlisted 
kept him constantly uneasy lest his forces, which 
were feeble enough at best, might suddenly be 
reduced to a state of weakness which would 
put it out of his power to prosecute the busi- 
ness of war even on a moderate scale, and in 
the most prudent way. On one occasion, the 
Connecticut troops left the camp in a body, 
because their term had nearly expired ; but it 



164: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

slioiild be told to tlie credit of the gentler sex, 
that when these pitiful soldiers reached home, 
they were so treated by the women, that not a 
few of them were glad to resume their places 
in the army. 

As a good general, whose business it was to 
animate and encourage those around him, 
Washington kept most of his troubles to him- 
self, though he sometimes referred to them in 
letters to his intimate friends. Thus, in writ- 
ing to Mr. Joseph Reed, who had been his pri- 
vate secretary, under date of January 4th, 
1776, he says : " Search the volumes of history 
through, and I much question wdiether a case 
similar to ours is to be found ; namely, to main- 
tain a post against the power of the British 
troops for six months together without pow^der, 
and then to have one army disbanded and an- 
other to be raised within the same distance 
(musket-shot) of a reinforced enemy. I wish 
this month were well over our heads. . . . How 
it will end, God in his great goodness will di- 
rect. I am thankful for his protection to this 
time." And again : " The reflection on my sit- 
uation and that of this army produces me many 
an unhappy hour when all around me are 
wrapped in sleep. ... I have often thought 



HABITUAL DEVOTION. 165 

how mucli hapi^ier I should liave been, if, in- 
stead of accepting tlie command imder such, 
circumstances, I had taken my musket on my 
shoulder and entered the ranks." 

But whatever were the vexations and trials 
which General 'W^ashington's position obliged 
him to encounter, he enjoyed the privilege of 
every true servant of God, that of casting all 
care upon Oxe who was able to hel^). His 
Prayer-book was his daily companion, — morn- 
ing and evening devotions were invariably of- 
fered up at his quarters, and he set the excel- 
lent example of going regularly to church. 



CHAPTEE SIXTEEI^TH. 

A stir in Boston Harbor — The British fleet takes its departure 
— Washington's anxiety about New Yorli — General Lee sent 
to raise troops for its defenee — The quiet of Sunday disturbed 
Ijy the arrival of the enemy — Only a short visit to a friend — 
Washington growing impatient — Fifty cannon and plenty of 
powder — Taking possession of Dorchester Heights — General 
Howe opens his eyes in amazement — " Kemember this is the 
fifth of March" — Both sides disappointed — The British pro- 
pose to abandon Boston— Their hasty departure— Praises 
showered upon Washington — " Where is the fleet going?" — 
Alexandria in alarm — " I am packing up your china" — Wash- 
ington takes the command at New York — A conspiracy for 
seizing him — Everybody becoming suspicious— British troops 
landed on Staten Island— Signing of the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence — No room for indecision left. 

DUEIE'G the month of January, 1Y76, there 
was quite a stir in Boston harbor. Yessels 
were seen unfurling their sails, and putting to 
sea, and Washington strongly suspected that 
an assault was designed against the city of J^ew 
York. He had long felt uneasy lest an attempt 
should be made in that quarter, since the prov- 
ince of New York occupied a most important 
place in the confederacy, lying, as it did, in the , 
direct route between the New Eno^land and the 
Soiithern colonies. A great many Tories (for 



GENERAL LEE. 167 

SO tliose Americans were called wlio took sides 
with England in the war) were known to be liv- 
ing in the city and its neighborhood, and Gov- 
ernor Try on himself, now sojourning on board 
one of the king's ships in the harbor, was encour- 
aging the disaffected in their intrigues. Aware 
of these things, Washington no sooner saw the 
English fleet stealing away from Boston than 
he despatched General Lee to raise troops in 
Connecticut, and to fortify IsTew York and the 
posts along the Hudson. Of this officer we 
will briefly say that he was an Englishman by 
birth, and one who had made the art of war 
his study from his youth. He had seen a good 
deal of service in various countries, and now, 
having warmly espoused the cause of the colo- 
nies, in their difficulties with the mother coun 
try, his experience was highly prized, and his 
reputation as a general much greater than he 
really deserved. He was two years older than 
Washington, having been born in 1731. 

By a strange coincidence, on the very day 
that General Lee reached 'New York (Februa- 
ry 4th, 1776), Sir Henry Clinton made hi8 
appearance in the harbor with his squadron. 
It was Sunday, and the peaceful repose of the 
day of rest was greatly disturbed. Many of 



168 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

tlie inhabitants hastened with their moveable 
property into the conntrj, and all day long 
carts were going, and boats loading, and 
women and children nttering cries of ter- 
ror. 

Sir Henry sent for the mayor, and tried to 
allay all suspicion by saying that he had merely 
come on a short visit to his friend Governor 
Tryon, and that he should go away again as 
soon as possible. Sm-e enough, after a brief 
stay, he continued his mysterious cruise. 
There is no telling what he might have done 
to the city, if Lee had not reached there in 
time to protect it. 

Washington was very impatient to make an 
attack on Boston, not only because he was 
tired of remaining inactive so long, but be- 
cause he knew that the whole country was 
watching his movements, and expecting that 
something would be done. He wrote to Mr. 
Reed on the 10th of February : ''I know the 
unhappy predicament I stand in ; I know that 
much is expected of me ; I know, that, with- 
out men, without arms, without ammunition, 
without any thing fit for the accommodation of 
a soldier, little is to be done; and, what is 
mortifying, I know that I cannot stand justi- 



COLONEL KNOX. 169 

fied to tlie world without exposing my own 
weakness, and injuring the cause by declaring 
my wants, which I aim detekmined not to do, 
further than unavoidable necessity brings 
every man ac(|uainted with them. ... In short, 
my situation has been such, that I have been 
obliged to use art to conceal it from my own 
officers." 

At last the camp was made quite happy by 
the arrival of Colonel Knox, from Ticonderoga, 
with a long train of sledges drawn by oxen, 
bringing more than fifty cannon, and plenty of 
ball and powder. The original avocation of 
this gentleman was that of a Boston bookseller, 
but his fortitude in accomplishing so formida- 
ble an undertaking in the depth of winter at 
once commended him to General Washington, 
as a patriot on whom he could safely rely. 
IN'o time was to be lost. On the evening of 
the 4th of March, a cannonading was opened 
from opposite points against the enemy, in 
order to draw off their attention, and prevent 
them from observing the real plan which it 
was proposed to carry into effect. As soon 
as the firing began, a detachment was sent to 
gain possession of Dorchester Heights (now a 
part of South Boston), and erect the best forti- 
15 



170 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

fications tliey could with hay screwed into 
large bundles of seven or eight hundred 
weight, the ground being frozen too hard to 
be easily intrenched. 

"When General Howe looked out the next 
day, and saw the mushroom fortress looming 
up grandly through the morning fog, he ex- 
claimed in amazement, " The rebels have done 
more in one night, than my whole army would 
have done in a month." A British officer 
also wrote home concerning these defences: 
" They were all raised during the last night, 
with an expedition equal to that of the genii 
belonging to Aladdin's wonderful lamp. From 
these hills they command the whole town, so 
that we must drive them from their post, or 
desert the place." General Howe felt that 
this was indeed the case, and Lord Percy was 
sent with three thousand men, to make the 
attempt. The greatest anxiety was felt, and 
the inhabitants of Boston stood in profound 
silence, watching the result. 

When "Washington came upon the ground, 
he rode along the ranks, and reminded the 
soldiers that it was the 5th of March, the 
anniversary of the Boston massacre, and called 
on them to aveno^e the slaughter of their 



BRITISH EVACUATE BOSTON. 171 

brethren. They answered him with shouts, 
and seemed impatient for the fight. 

Thus far, General Howe had been express- 
ing his contempt for the rebels, but now that 
they were ready to meet him, he seemed to 
hesitate. He finally concluded to attack them 
by night, and Lord Percy was appointed to 
lead the troops. Every preparation was made, 
but a violent storm came on, which delayed 
matters until the next day, and then, as the 
rain still fell in torrents, there must be a 
further postponement. The bomb-shells thrown 
from Dorchester Heights into the city, proved 
that it could no longer be safely held, and the 
British general called a council of war, and 
although it was a terrible blow to his pride, 
prudence prevailed. He accordingly sent un- 
oflicial word to "Washington that he would 
spare the town, in case his troops were allow- 
ed to depart unmolested. The inhabitants 
had been in a great state of alarm, lest Boston 
should be burnt, and for their sakes, the terms 
were agreed to. The British spiked their 
largest cannon, and left as little as possible 
which could be of service to the Americans. 
The former were all hurry and confusion to 
get away from a place where their confine- 



172 LIFE OF WASIIINGTOlSr. 

ment had been so long and so liumiliating. 
The English fleet, consisting of seventj-eight 
ships and transports, sailed out of the harbor 
on the ITth of March, 1776. 

"When the Americans took possession of the 
fort on Bunker Hill, they found sentinels made 
of wood, and dressed in the clothes of liv- 
ing men, left on guard there, in order to cover 
the retreat of the garrison. 

Tlie people of Boston were very grateful to 
"Washington for their deliverance, and Con- 
gress ordered a gold medal to be struck, in 
honor of the event. 

The good man received all the praises show- 
ered upon him with his usual modesty, and 
closes his reply to the flattering address of the 
General Assembly of Massachusetts, in these 
words : 

" May that Being who is powerful to save, 
and in whose hand is the fate of nations, 
look down with an eye of tender pity and 
compassion upon the whole of the United 
Colonies; may He continue to smile upon 
their counsels and arms, and crown them 
with success, whilst employed in the cause of 
virtue and mankind. May this distressed 
colony and its capital, and every part of this 



AUEXANDEIA ALAEMED. iid 

wide extended continent, through His divine 
favor, be restored to more than their former 
lustre and once happy state, and have peace, 
liberty, and safety secured upon a solid, per- 
manent, and lasting foundation." 

The British fleet had taken its departure, 
and the most natural question was, "What is 
its destination?*' Washington believed that 
Kew York would be the next point of attack, 
and he made his preparations to send twelve 
regiments of the continental forces thither. 

About this time, his agent thus writes from 
Mount Yernon : " Alexandria is much alarm- 
ed, and indeed the whole neighborhood. The 
women and children are leaving the town, and 
stowing themselves in every hut they can 
find, out of the reach of the enemy's cannon. 
Every cart, wagon, and pack-liorse, that can 
be got, is employed. The militia are all up, 
but not in arms, for indeed they have none, or 
at least vei-y few. I could wish, if we are to 
have our neighborhood invaded, that they 
would send a tender or two among us, that we 
might see how the people would behave on 
the occasion. 

" They say they are determined to fight. I 
am about packing up your china and glass in 
15* 



174: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

barrels, and other things into chests, trunks, 
and bundles, and I shall be able at the shortest 
notice to remove them ont of the way. I fear 
the destruction will be great, although the 
best care has been taken. Everybody I see 
tells me, that if the people could have notice, 
they would immediately come, and defend 
your property, so long as they have life." 

The American army reached ISTew York on 
the 13th of April, when "Washington resumed 
the command in person. From the fact that 
the high grounds in the neighborhood of 
Brooklyn, commanded the city, he took it for 
granted that the principal operations of the 
enemy would be on Long Island, and as an 
able and efiicient officer would be required to 
cope with them. General Greene was stationed 
at that place. Washington's position was now 
even more trying than it had been at Bos- 
ton. 

The city of New York was full of those who 
were friendly to the British, and Governor 
Tryon was doing his best, by secret treachery, 
to frustrate the plans of the colonists. A plot 
had been formed to carry off Washington 
himself, and deliver him up to the enemy, and 
a part of his own guards were engaged in it> 



DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 175 

The conspiracy extended into the country, and 
every one became suspicious of his neighbors, 
and few felt that they were altogether safe. 
The mayor of the city was arrested, and a 
soldier of General Washington's body-guard 
was executed. British ships arrived in the 
harbor, troops were landed on Staten Island, 
and there General Howe established his head- 
quarters. But while danger was thus threat- 
ening the city, the hearts of all true patriots 
were cheered by the decided stand which 
Congress took on tlie 4th of July, 1776, when 
the Declaration of our Independence was 
signed.* There could now be no retreat. 
The Americans must go onward and fight for 
their liberties, or perish in the attempt. 

May the great national holiday which is 
kept in honor of that event, always be cele- 
brated with the devoutest feelings of thankful- 
ness and joy. 

'No one was more gratified than Washington 
that Congress had thus taken a decided stand, 
and he says in one of his orders to the army : 

* The writer would advise all who can have access to the 
work, to turn to Lossing's " Field-Book of the Eevolution," 
vol. ii., p. 284, and read the animated description of this excit- 
ing scene. 



1Y6 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

^'The general hopes and trusts that every 
officer and man will endeavor so to live and 
act as becomes a Christian soldier, defending 
the dearest rights and liberties of his coun- 
try." 



CHAPTEK SEYENTEENTH. 

Both sides preparing for the future — The forces of General 
Howe multiplying — Arrival of a powerful fleet— A letter for 
■which it was hard to find an owner — Military titles — The reb- 
els declining to be pardoned — Fears excited by the English 
ships — Hessian soldiers — Painful suspense — The enemy land 
on Long Island — All doubts at an end — An unfortunate bat- 
tle — " What brave fellows I must this day lose !" — A night 
of cruel anxiety — Council of war — A hard night's work — The 
British ships venture nearer to the city — Washington attending 
divine service in New York — A very loyal servant of the 
king gives his account of it — Day of public fasting and prayer 
— The same Church adapted to the wants of all, no matter 
what their political opinions may be, 

MILITARY preparations went on through 
the summer of 1776, both sides endeavor- 
ing to be fully prepared for what was to fol- 
low. By this time the forces of General Howe 
had increased to twenty-five thousand men, 
far outnumbering those under the command 
of Washington. The alarm of the inhabitants 
of New York had been great enough before, 
but it was much increased on the 14:th of 
July, when Admiral Lord Howe arrived, with 
a powerful fleet, to act in conjunction with 
his brother, the general. He came on a mis- 



178 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

sion of peace, desiring to bring back tlie colo- 
nies to their allegiance. His lordsliip was 
greatly disappointed that he did not reach 
New York before the Declaration of Independ- 
ence had been proclaimed. He still hoped, 
however, that some might yet be persuaded 
to return to the service of the king ; and a 
messenger was sent on shore with a flag of 
truce, bearing a circular letter to the colonial 
governor, requesting him to publish his ad- 
dress to the people, as widely as possible. 

A day or two afterwards, an officer of the 
British navy came from Lord Howe, seeking 
a conference with Washington. Thus far the 
enemy had always spoken of the Americans as 
rebels, and denied all military titles to their 
officers. Washington cared nothing for these, 
so far as he was concerned, but he was deter- 
mined that proper respect should be shown 
to him as commander-in-chief of the armies of 
his country. 

When the British officer was discovered 
approaching the city in a boat bearing a white 
flag. Colonel Eeed was sent in a barge to meet 
him, and learn his errand. The messenger of 
Lord Howe informed him that he had brought 
a letter from that gentleman to Mr. Washing- 



JULITAPwT TITLES. 179 

ton. Colonel Eeed was provoked at this im- 
pudence, and replied that he knew of no such 
person in the army. 

The English officer now produced the letter, 
which was addressed to '* George Washington, 
Esq.," and was told that it would n.ot be re- 
ceived with that direction. He still pressed 
the matter, and hinted that its contents were 
highly important. Colonel Eeed refused to 
take it, and Lord Howe's messenger went 
back as he came. 

His lordship afterwards sent to inquii*e 
whether Colonel Patterson, the British Adju- 
tant-general, could be admitted to an inter- 
view with General Washington. A favorable 
answer was returned, and, at the time agreed 
upon, that officer arrived, and was received by 
the commander-in-chief with much form and 
ceremony. Colonel Patterson addressed him 
with great respect, calling him '• Your Excel- 
lency," but still withholding his proper name 
of General. He brought a letter directed to 
" George Washington, Esq., &:c., &:c.," which 
was still declined, as not yielding the point in 
dispute. Colonel Patterson insisted that the 
et ceteras covered everv thins: : but Washinor- 
ton replied that while it was true that these 



180 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

implied every tiling^ they also implied any 
tiling^ and that he should absolutely decline 
any letter addressed to himself as a private 
jDerson, when it related to his public station. 
The British officer finding that the childish 
expedient which had been resorted to in order 
to make "Washington lay aside his dignity, 
had utterly failed, he endeavored to commu- 
nicate the substance of the letter, so far as he 
could recollect it. 

The commander-in-chief patiently heard 
what he had to say, and then answered, that 
it appeared that Lord Howe's power extended 
only to granting ^ardons^ and as Americans 
battling for rights wanted no pardons, there 
was little use in wasting words on the subject. 
And so the interview ended. 

Congress highly approved of "Washington's 
course in the matter, and General Howe, 
when he had occasion to write again, directed 
his letters in due form. 

The inhabitants along the banks of the Hud- 
son were in constant dread lest the British 
ships should succeed in passing the city, and 
make their way up the river to destroy the 
towns along its banks. Two of them, indeed, 
had already gone up, and were cruising about, 



BRITISH FORCES. 181 

holding communication, it was believed, with 
the nnmerous Tories scattered through the 
countiy. Fortunately, the militia were under 
the command of General George Clinton, a 
watchful and active officer, and General Put- 
nam was busv in sinking such obstructions in 
the river as he hoped would prevent the pas- 
sage of other ships. 

His majesty King George was determined 
to bring the rebels to their senses, cost what 
it might ; and in addition to his own troops 
sent over for that purpose, he had hired a 
large number of German soldiers, called Hes- 
sians, and ship after ship continued to arrive, 
until the slopes of Staten Island were white 
with the tents of thirty thousand men collect- 
ed there. 

The British seemed to have brought all their 
force to bear on one point. Sir Henry Clin- 
ton, having been defeated in his attack on 
Charleston, South Carolina, had returned, and 
was now ready to assist General Howe. Lord 
Cornwallis and Lord Dunmore (the late Gov- 
ernor of Yii^ginia) were also with him. 

General "Washington was poorly prepared 
to withstand this formidable force, as he only 
had about seventeen thousand men, and many 
16 



182 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

of these were raw militia, badly armed, and 
without tents. 

He was kept in painful suspense for a wdiile, 
not knowing what tlie enemy intended to do ; 
but after many false alarms he learned, on the 
2Tth of August, that they had landed on Long 
Island, at a point between the ISTarrows and 
Sandy Hook. Unfortunately, General Greene, 
who was stationed near Brooklyn, was sick, 
and, at the last moment, General Putnam was 
sent over to supply his place; but being unac- 
quainted with the ground, he was not pre2:>ared 
to act with promptness and effect. The bat- 
tle of Long Island began at daybreak. The 
roar of artillery aroused the New Yorkers, 
and as soon as Washington found that the 
wind was such that the enemy's ships could 
not be brought to bear upon the city, he hast- 
ened over to the scene of action. 

Taking his station on a hill, he soon discov- 
ered, by the aid of his telescope, the mistakes 
which his oiSccrs had made ; but it was too 
late to change the orders, and he could only 
watch the defeat of his troops, wringing his 
hands in agony, and crying out, " Good God, 
what brave fellows I must this day lose!" 
Every thing had gone against them, and they 



A HARD night's WORK. 1S3 

Imd loyt, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, 
abont eleven hundred men. 

The night which followed this dismal day 
was one of cruel anxiety and suffering. The 
commander-in-chief spent the weary hours in 
going about among the sick and woimded, and 
in making preparations for the morrow. 

Providentially, the next day brought a vio- 
lent rain, which kept the British from pursuing 
the advantage which they had gained; but, 
from the bustle among their ships, it seemed 
probable that they were about to sail up and 
anchor in the East Kiver, thus surrounding 

o 

Washington's forces on Long Island. A coun- 
cil of war was summoned, and it was decided 
that the troops must be taken back to Xew 
York that very night. It was a most hazai'd- 
ous undertaking to transport nine thousand 
men, with baggage and artillery, in the face of 
the enemy ; but a thick fog tavored the opera- 
tion, and it was accomplished with complete 
success. Washington crossed over, with the 
last division, just before daybreak. This was 
one of his most masterly achievements, and 
never, before or afterwards, did he suffer great- 
er anxiety, or undergo more fatigue. 

The British ships now ventured closer to the 



184: LIFE 0F.WASHING'It)15r. 

city tlian ever, but the army seemed contented 
to take possession of tlie works erected by tlie 
Americans on Long Island. 

As the Episcopal Clinrch was tlie established 
religion in England, and every thing which re- 
lated to the mother country had become un- 
popular with those whom she was trying to 
oppress and conquer, the reader may be curi- 
ous to know whether, during this trying pe- 
riod, Washington still held fast to his religious 
faith, or whether he chose some form of man's 
devising, as a way of serving God quite as 
acceptable as that which He had appointed. 
An incidental reference in the journal of the 
E-ev. Charles Inglis, one of the ministers of 
Trinity Church, 'New York, written in the au- 
tumn of 1776, will throw some light upon the 
subject. 

"Soon after Washington's arrival, he at- 
tended our church ; but on the Sunday morn- 
ing, before divine service began, one of the 
rebel generals called at the rector's house (sup- 
posing the latter was in town), and, not finding 
him, left word that he came to inform the rec- 
tor that 'General Washington would be at 
church, and would be glad if the violent pray- 
ers for the king and royal family were omitted.' 



A DAY OF FASTIKG. 185 

Tills message was brought to me ; and, as you 
may suppose, I paid no regard to it. 

" On seeing that general not long after, I re- 
monstrated against the unreasonableness of his 
request, which he must know the clergy could 
not comjDly with ; and told him further, that 
it was in his power to shut up our churches, 
but by no means in his power to make the 
clergy depart from their duty. 

" This declaration drew from him an awk- 
ward apology for his conduct, which, I believe, 
was not authorized by Washington. Such in- 
cidents would not be worth mentioning, unless 
to give those who are at a distance a better 
idea of the spirit of the times. 

" May ITth was appointed by the Congress as 
a day of j)ublic fasting, j)rayer, and humiliation, 
throughout the continent. At the unanimous 
request of the members of our church who 
were then in town, I consented to preach that 
day ; and, indeed, our situation made it highly 
prudent, though a submission to an authority 
that was so far usurped was exceedingly gra- 
ting and disagreeable. In giving notice the 
preceding Sunday, I only mentioned that there 
would be a sermon the ensuing Friday, which 
was the ITth, without saying any thing of the 
16* 



186 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

reason, or hj what authority. It was exceed- 
ingly difficult for a loyal clergyman to preach 
on such an occasion, and not incur danger on 
the one hand, or not depart from his duty on 
the other. I endeavored to avoid both, making 
peace and repentance my subject, and explicit- 
ly disclaimed having any thing to do with poli- 
tics. This sermon, in the comj)osition of which 
I took some pains, I intend to publish, for va- 
rious reasons, should I be able to recover it 
from the place where it now is, with all my 
books and papers, in the country. The several 
churches in this province (except two, where 
the clergymen thought they might without 
danger omit service), and, so far as I can learn, 
through all the thirteen United Colonies, as they 
are called, were opened on this occasion."* 

The clergyman who wrote this was a devoted 
royalist, and the American general was the 
head and front of the rebel host who were con- 
tending for their liberty, — and yet both could 
unite with the same devotional spirit in the 
services of the Book of Common Prayer. 

* Hawkins' Missions of the English Church, p. 333. 



CHAPTEE EIGHTEE:^TH. 

Lord Howe still hopes for an amicable settlement of difficulties 
— He sends a message to Congress— A committee appointed 
to meet him — The result far different from what he had ex- 
pected — The enemy's plans begin to develope themselves — 
Washington reduced to one mode of warfai'C — His anny wast- 
ing away — New York abandoned — The Britisli fire upon the 
guard at Kip's Bay — Disgraceful flight — Washington loses his 
I)resence of mind — " Are these the men with whom I am to 
defend America?" — His letter to Congress — Good officers in- 
dispensable — The practice of plundering to be checked — Thor- 
oughly discouraged and perplexed — Congress becomes rather 
wiser than before — Troops to be enlisted for the war — Dread 
of the power of armies and generals — Washington's true char- 
acter not then fully understood. 

Ol^E reason wli j tlie English did not prompt- 
ly follow lip the severe blow which they 
had given to the cause of the colonists in the 
battle of Long Island was, that Lord Howe 
still hoped that an arrangement might be made 
by which teiTtis of peace conld be agreed npon 
advantageous to Great Britain. The present 
seemed a favorable moment for the renewal of 
his overtures, and he accordingly sent a mes- 
sage to Congress, requesting an interview with 
some of the members of that body. A com- 
mittee, consisting of John Adams, Edward 



188 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Rutledge, and Doctor Franklin, was chosen 
for tliis piir230se, and tliey met liis lordship on 
Staten Island. During his residence in Eng- 
land the previous year, Franklin had become 
acquainted with Lord Howe, at the house of 
his lordship's sister, and their intercourse was 
mutually agreeable. Lord Howe talked over 
matters with the committee, but made no ex- 
plicit proposition of peace, nor promise of anj 
change in the policy of the English govern- 
ment towards the colonies, except on condition 
that they should return to their allegiance. 

The Congressmen replied that this was now 
impossible ; that the colonies had been forced 
into a war, and had declared their indepen- 
dence, and that it would not be their fault if 
they did not maintain it. 

On the breaking up of the conference, Lord 
Howe expressed his sorrow at the result, and 
assured his old friend, Dr. Franklin, that it 
would give him great pain to be obliged to dis- 
tress those whom he so highly esteemed. 

"I am very thankful to your lordship for 
your regard," answered Franklin, good-humor- 
edly ; " the Americans, on their part, will en- 
deavor to lessen the pain you may feel, by 
taking good care of themselves." 



WITHDRAWma FROM NEW YORK. 189 

"Washington had been carefully watching 
the movements of the enemy, and he was now 
convinced that their plan was to inclose the 
American army on the island of 'New York, 
and tlms oblige them to fight on their own 
terms, or surrender at discretion. There was, 
therefore, only one course which he could pos- 
sibly pursue, with any regard to the safety of 
the country, and this was to avoid battles, and 
to endeavor to wear away the strength of the 
British troops by slow degrees, — never ventur- 
ing to attack them, unless under advantageous 
circumstances. The terrible result of the re- 
cent conflict on Long Island had been extreme- 
ly disheartening, and the American army was 
reduced every day by the return of the militia 
and volunteers to their homes. It was plain 
that New York must be abandoned, and Wash- 
ington made up his mind to retire to the rocky 
heights north of the city, on the upper part of 
the island, and there intrench himself as strong- 
ly as possible, with a view to the prevention 
of the enemy's movements on the iJ^orth and 
East Elvers. An incident which happened 
during the removal of his troops to this posi- 
tion, served to increase his dislike to raw and 
unpractised militia. 



190 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

On tlie 15tli of September, the Britisli ships 
began to fire npon the soldiers who had been 
left to guard the breastworks at Kip's Bay, on 
the East River, and almost at the first alarm 
these heroes took to their heels, and no efi'orts 
of their ofiacers could stop them. Washington 
was at Harlem when the firing began, and he 
galloped over to the scene of action as fast as 
he could, and was extremely mortified and dis- 
tressed to discover the cowardly behavior of 
the men. He rode up furiously in front of the 
fiying troops, shouted to them, and ordered 
them to go back with him and face the enemy. 
He even snapped his pistols at them, and 
threatened them with his sword ; and, when he 
saw them still running away with all speed, he 
dashed his hat on the ground, and exclaimed, 
" Are these the men with whom I am to defend 
America ?" The enraged commander seemed 
almost to court death to relieve him of the 
sense of dishonor, and one of his aids seized 
the bridle of his horse, and forced him from 
the spot. 

In the midst of all this uncertainty and dis- 
appointment, "Washington began to think se- 
riously what could be done in the future to 
remedy some of the evils from which he had 



GOOD OFFICEES NEEDED. 191 

SO grievously suffered ; and, during the weary 
hours borrowed from sleep, he wrote a long 
and stirring letter to Congress, which it would 
be unjust to him not to copy, at least in part. 
"As the war must be carried on systematical- 
ly and to do it you must have good officers, 
there are no other possible means to obtain 
them but by establishing your army upon a 
permanent footing, and giving your officers 
good pay. This will induce gentlemen and 
men of character to engage ; and, till the bulk 
of your officers is composed of such persons as 
are actuated by principles of honor and a spir- 
it of enterprise, you have little to exj)ect from 
them. They ought to have such allowances 
as will enable them to live like and support 
the character of gentlemen, and not be driven 
by a scanty pittance to the low and dirty arts 
which many of them practise, to filch from the 
public more than the difference of pay would 
amount to upon an ample allowance. Besides, 
something is due to the man who puts his life 
in your hands, hazards his health, and forsakes 
the sweets of domestic enjoyment. 

" But while the only merit an officer possess- 
es is his ability to raise men, while those men 
consider and treat him as an equal, and, in the 



192 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

character of an officer, regard him no more 
than a broomstick, — being mixed together as 
one common herd, no order or discipline can 
prevail; nor will the officer ever meet with 
that respect which is essentially necessary to 
due subordination. 

" Of late a practice prevails of the most 
alarming nature, and which will, if it cannot 
be checked, prove fatal to both the country 
and the army : I mean the infamous practice 
of plundering. For, under the idea of Tory 
property, or property that may fall into the 
hands of the enemy, no man is secure in his 
effects, and scarcely in his person. In order 
to get at them, we have several instances of 
people being frightened out of their houses, 
under pretence of those houses being ordered 
to be burnt, and this is done with a view of 
seizing the goods ; nay, in order that the vil- 
lany may be more effectually concealed, some 
houses have actually been burnt, to cover the 
theft. I have, with some others, used my 
utmost endeavors to stop this horrid practice ; 
but under the present Inst after plunder, and 
want of laws to punish offenders, I might 
almost as well attempt to move Mount Atlas. 
I have ordered instant corporal punishment 



OFFICIAL PLryDKHTXG. 193 

upon every man who passes our lin^ or is 
seen with plunder, that the offenders may be 
punished for disobedience of orders ; and I 
inclose to you the proceedings of a court-mar- 
tial held upon an officer, who, with a party of 
men, had robbed a house, a little beyond our 
lines, of a number of valuable goods, — among 
which (to show that nothing escaped) were 
four large pier looking-glasses, women's clothes, 
and other articles, which, one would think, 
could be of no earthly use to him. He was 
met by a major of brigade, who ordered him 
to return the goods, as taken contrary to gen- 
eral orders, which he not only refused to do, 
but drew up his party and swore he would 
defend them at the hazard of his life; on 
which I ordered him to be arrested, tried for 
plundering, disobedience of orders, and mu- 
tiny. 

"An army formed of good officere moves 
like clock-work ; but there is no situation upon 
earth less enviable, or more distressing, than 
that person's who is at the head of troops 
regardless of order and discipline, and unpro- 
^'ided with almost every necessary. In a 
word, the difficulties which have forever sur- 
rounded me since I have been in the service, 
17 



194 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

and kept my mind constantly upon the stretch ; 
the wounds which my feelings as an officer 
have received by a thousand things that have 
happened contrary to my expectations and 
wishes; the effect of my own conduct, and 
present appearance of things, so little pleasing 
to myself as to render it a matter of no sur- 
prise to me if I should stand capitally censured 
by Congress ; added to a consciousness of my 
inability to govern an army composed of such 
discordant parts, and under such a variety of 
intricate and perplexing circumstances, induce 
not only a belief, but a thorough conviction in 
my mind, that it will be impossible, unless 
there is a thorough change in our military 
system, for me to conduct matters in such a 
manner as to give satisfaction to the public, 
which is all the recompense I aim at, or ever 
wished for." 

The number of letters* which Washington 
wrote or dictated, during the war, must have 

* For those who have plenty of spare time, no better history 
of Washington's public life could be desired than his own let- 
ters, as edited by Mr. Sparks. The writer must say for himself 
that he read through the whole twelve large octavo volumes 
with unflagging interest. Some valuable information in regard 
to their publication will be found in Dayckinck's Encyclopaedia 
of American Literature, vol. i., p. 179. 



CHAEACTER MISUNDERSTOOD. 195 

been a great tax upon liim. Xot only did he 
keep Congress dnl j informed of the movements 
of the armv, but he was obliged, again and 
again, to remind them of the necessities of the 
soldiers, and of a thousand other things. 
Yery few of the members understood his real 
character ; and because some generals at the 
close of a successful war had become despots, 
they did not feel quite sure that Washington, 
after haying driven the British from these 
shores, might not trust to the attachment of 
the army to make liim a king. For this 
reason, Congress was oftentimes backward 
about giving him as much power as it was 
necessary that the commander-in-chief should 
possess. 

Great and noble man, thy unsullied purity 
of mind and heart is now known to all ! 



CHAPTEE NmETEENTH. 

The American encampment at King's Bridge — Eedoubts and 
intrencliments — The British land at Throg's Neck — A serious 
question which required a prompt answer — Washington re- 
moves his head-quarters to White Plains — " The British are 
in the camp, sir !" — Dread of light-horse — The enemy change 
their plan — Both sides suffer loss, and neither gains much — 
Breastwork of corn-stalks — An insolent letter which paints a 
melancholy picture — Poor pay and hard living — The Ameri- 
can army retires to North Castle — General Howe withdraws 
to the Hudson — Various suppositions as to what he was about 
to do — Washington's opinion proves to be correct — Attack on 
the fort — Weeping like a child — The army crosses into New 
Jersey, followed by the British — Fruitless appeals for help — 
Too many Tories in New Jersey — The gloomiest period of the 
war — A fresh proclamation of pardon — Washington firm in 
the midst of trials — What he proposed to do in the last emer- 
gency — Certainty of final success. 



THE main body of the American army was 
now encamped upon the narrow, rocky 
neck of land, which forms the npper part of 
Manhattan or Is'ew York island. While thns 
posted, Washington was incessantly occupied 
in fortifying the approaches to the camp by 
redoubts and intrencliments. "Plere," said 
he, "I should hope the enemy, in case of 
attack, would meet a defeat, if the generality 



ENCAMPED AT NSHITL PLATS'.?. 197 

of oui' troops would behave with tolerable 
bravery ; but experience, to my extreme afflic- 
tion, has convinced me that it is rather to be 
wished than expected. However, I trust there 
are many who will act like men worthy of the 
blessings of freedom.*' 

On the 12th of October, the British landed 
at Throg's Xeck, in the Sound, but were 
immediately checked by the Americans, who 
fortunately had possession of strong ground. 
It now became a very serious question 
whether it would be prudent for the army 
to remain on Manhattan Island, with the 
enemy in their rear. A council of officers 
(among whom was General Lee, who had just 
retm-ned from a successful campaign at the 
South) decided that it should be removed to 
the main land. 

Accordingly, on the 23d of October, TTash- 
ington established his head-quarters at White 
Plains. General Lee arrived there several 
days afterwards, bringing the rear division with 
him. which consisted of eight thousand men. 

The whole encampment was merely a tem- 
porary one, designed to be exchanged for 
another as soon as the military stores collected 
there could be removed. 
17* 



198 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

The day after Lee's arrival, lie was riding 
out with the commander-in-chief, to examine 
the condition of the surrounding country, 
when a trooper galloped up to them, crying 
out, " The British are in the camp, sir !" 

" Then, gentlemen," said Washington, with 
perfect composure, "we have other business 
to attend to than reconnoitring." 

Putting spurs to his horse, he soon reached 
the camp, where he learned that the army was 
already posted in order of battle. Washington 
merely turned to his companions, and remark- 
ed, "Gentlemen, you will return to your 
respective posts, and do the best you can." 
He had hardly time to give a few important 
orders, before the enemy appeared on the high 
grounds beyond the village of White Plains, 
advancing in two columns, their burnished 
arms glittering in the sunbeams. 

A part of the British troops, on this occasion, 
consisted of light-horse, which the American 
militia had always regarded with dread, 
although Washington had taken pains to con- 
vince them that in a rough, broken country, 
full of stone-fences, no soldiers were less to be 
feared. Mounted on horseback, they would 
be obliged to keep to the road, while sharp- 



PLIGHT OF THE AH^JT. 199 

sliooterS; stationed behind walls and thickets, 
could fire npon them with no danger of pur- 
suit. 

The enemy halted for a time in a wheat- 
field, sheltered by a rising ground, where their 
officers held a consultation, and their plan 
of attack was chano^ed. Instead of chars^inoj 
the Americans in front, as they had at first 
intended, and as TTashington had expected 
them to do, they turned to a hill on the right 
of the camp. The Americans made a brave 
defence, and the loss on both sides was about 
equal ; but the enemy accomplished their pur- 
pose, and proceeded to fortify the hill. 

During the night "Washington took every 
precaution to strengthen his position by throw- 
ing up a breastwork made of the stalks of In- 
dian coiTi, with the earth clinging in masses to 
the roots. The two armies were now within 
cannon-shot of each other, and the British had 
an opportunity of discovering the wretched 
condition of the Colonists. One of them 
wi-ites to a friend in London, giving a woful 
pictm-e of their ragged plight in this rainy 
and inclement season. '' The rebel army are 
in 60 ^Tetched a condition as to clotliinsr and 
accoutrements, that I believe no nation ever 



200 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

saw such a set of tatterdemalions. There are 
few coats among them but what are out at 
elbows, and in a whole regiment there is 
scarce a pair of breeches. Judge, then, how 
they must be pinched by a winter's campaign. 
"We, who are warmly clothed and well equip- 
ped, already feel it severely ; for it is even now 
much colder than I ever felt it in England." 

The pay of the American troops was very 
poor at best, and they were often kept out of 
it long after it was due, because Congress real- 
ly did not know how to raise the money. 
Great praise should be given to men who were 
willing to go almost naked, and sleep on the 
cold ground, and be pinched with hunger, that 
they might free themselves from a foreign yoke, 
and secure the blessings of liberty for their 
children. 

Washington was apprehensive that the 
British might pass behind him and thus con- 
fine him within such narrow limits that escape 
would be impossible. For this reason, on the 
night of the 31st of October, he retired with 
the main army a distance of five miles among 
the rocky hills about North Castle, where he 
fortified himself General Howe made no at- 
tempt to dislodge him, but four days after- 



CAPTURE OF FORT WASHINGTON. 201 

wards withdrew liis wliole force to tlie Hud- 
son river. 

Great was the anxiety of the Americans to 
know where the enemy had gone. Some sug- 
gested that they intended to take up their 
winter-quarters in the city, others that they 
wouki cross into New Jersey, while it might 
yet be j)robable that they designed an attack 
on Fort Washington, the only place on Man- 
hattan Island where any American troops had 
been left. This last opinion was the one to 
which Washington inclined, and accordingly 
he left General Lee at E'orth Castle, while he 
sent one part of the army to guard the passes 
to the Highlands, and another to protect the 
Jersey shore. 

He himself crossed the Hudson to Fort Lee, 
in 'New York, opposite to Fort "Washington. 
The commander-in-chief had given it as his 
opinion before, that the garrison had better 
be withdrawn from the latter place, but Gen- 
eral Greene, within whose jurisdiction it was 
situated, was so sure that it could be safely 
retained, that he did not insist. 

The capture of this fortress proved to be the 
object of General Howe's sudden departure 
from White Plains, and Washington only ar- 



202 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

rived in time to witness the gallant defence and 
surrender of tlie fort which bore his name. 
So completely was he overcome by some acts 
of cruelty of which the enemy were guilty, 
and which he had no power to prevent, that 
he wept like a child. 

The Americans sustained a heavy loss, not 
only in men, but in cannon and guns, and 
Washington was sorry enough that he had not 
acted according to his own views instead of 
yielding to the wishes of General Greene. Lee, 
who was becoming more and more arrogant 
every day, wrote to him : " O General, why 
would you be over-persuaded by men of infe- 
rior judgment to your own ?" 

"With the capture of Fort Washington all 
hopes of obstructing the navigation of the 
Hudson at that point was abandoned. Fort 
Lee became useless, and no time was lost in 
preparing to leave it. The enemy were ad- 
vancing in full force, and nothing was left for 
the Americans but to retreat. 

They crossed over into 'New Jersey, moving 
slowly from Hackensack to E'ewark, and from 
there to Brunswick, Princeton, and Trenton, 
Washington hoping every day that at least 
the militia would come to his assistance. 



GLOOilY PERIOD. 203 

The people of the Jerseys were inclmed 
to favor the king, and when they saw 
the British general with a large and well- 
equipped army pursuing the tattered forces 
commanded by Washington, they felt little 
disposed to take sides with the weak. 

General Gates had been confidently expect- 
ed with reinforcements from the ]^orth ; six 
letters had been sent to hasten the march of 
General Lee ; the Governor of New Jersey had 
been appealed to, and Congress had been en- 
treated to send immediate help, but it was all 
to no j)urpose. 

The best that the commander-in-chief could 
do was to outgeneral Sir "William Howe by his 
skilful movements, and to place his army in 
comparative safety for a time, by crossing the 
Delaware at Trenton and encamping on the 
right bank, having cut off all j^rospect of im- 
mediate pursuit by securing the boats. 

" This was the gloomiest period of the war. 
The campaign had been little else than a se- 
ries of disasters and retreats. The enemy had 
gained possession of Rhode Island, Long Island, 
the city of J^ew York, Staten Island, and near- 
ly the whole of the Jerseys, and seemed on 
the point of extending their conquests into 



20J: LIFE OF WASHEfGTOJT. 

PennsvlTaiiia. By the fatal scheme of short 
enlistments, and by sickness, the effective 
force with General Washington had dwindled 
away, till it hardly deserved the name of an 
army. A proclamation was pnblished jointly 
by Lord Howe and General Howe, offering 
pardon in the king's name to all who should 
take oath of allegiance and come nnder his 
protection in sixty days. 

•• Many persons, among whom were men of 
wealth and consideration, accepted these terms, 
and went over to the enemy. Others, espe- 
cially in Xew Jersey, took the oath, but re- 
mained at their homes. 

"•In short, so great was the panic and so 
dark the prospect, that a general despondency 
pervaded the continent. In the midst of 
these scenes of trial and disconragement, 
'Washington stood firm. "Whatever his appre- 
hensions may have been, no misgivings were 
manifested in his conduct or his counsels. 
Fr»3m his letters written at this time, on the 
western bank of the Delaware, it does not ap- 
pear that he yielded for a moment to a sense 
of immediate danger, or to a doubt of ultimate 
success. On the contrary, they breathe the 
Eame determined spirit, and are marked by 



vnassEBB IS adtebhtty. 205 

the same confidence, calmness, and forethought 
which distingnish them on all other occasions. 
When asked what he would do if Philadelphia 
should be taken, he is reported to have said, 
' We will retreat hejond the Susquehanna riv- 
er ; and thence, if necessary, to the Alleghanj 
mountains.' Knowing, as he did, the temper 
of the people, the deeji-rooted cause of the 
controversy, and the actual resources of the 
confederacy, he was not disheartened by tem- 
porary misfartmies, being persuaded that 
perseverance would at last overcome every 
obstacle.*** 

♦ Sparks' Life of Washington. 



CHAPTEK TWEFTIETH. 

Kcw trials— A loved and trusted friend behaves very shabbily- 
General Lee's jealousy— Plans for his own advancement— En- 
during enough in silence— Colonel Eeed writes a most improp- 
er letter — An accident reveals the treachery to the one most 
nearly concerned — Kepenting of errors with many tears — Lee'3 
inglorious capture — His character and aims — A bold stroke — 
Crossing the Delaware on a stomiy night — Nine weary miles 
—The enemy surprised—" Their flags are struck, sir !"— The 
spoils of victory — Failure in a part of the plan — Visit of sym- 
pathy to a dying soldier — Triumphal entry into Philadel- 
phia — Difficulty in persuading the troops to re-enlist — Hard 
money needed — Eobert Morris applied to— He borrows it from 
an unexpected quarter — The campaign of 1776 closes gloomily. 

WASHESTGTOX'S trials had been grievons 
enougli, tliiTS far, without any more 
being added to them, bnt there was another 
yet to come, for which he conld scarcely have 
been prepared; viz., the nnfaithfulness of 
Colonel Eeed, whom he had so long loved and 
trusted. 

The defensive policy which the commander- 
in-chief had been obliged, from the force of 
circumstances, to pursue, had brought upon 
him the charge of indecision, if not of actual 
imbecility. His ardent and impetuous temper 



207 

would have led liim to meet tlie British, in 
open fight, and to contend with -unfaltering 
conrage ; but his forces were too weak to haz- 
ard the safety of the cause in such a way, and 
the most mortifying experiences had shown 
that the courage of the undisciplined militia 
could not be depended on in the hour of trial. 
He felt certain, however, that his present 
policy, of wearying out the enemy, must at last 
be successful. 

While many saw and acknowledged the 
wisdom of this course, there were others who 
spoke of it in terms of ridicule and reproach. 
General Lee, who was a vain and conceited 
man, and of a hot and ungovernable temper, 
had always been jealous that he should be 
made to play a secondary part to one whom 
he considered inferior to himself in military 
skill. He seemed to forget that it was at the 
solicitation of Washington that he had been 
intrusted with the important command which 
he held, and when his particular friends began 
to contrast his success in arms with what 
they chose to regard as the timid policy of the 
commander-in-chief, his presumption and inso- 
lence became intolerable. 

Some members of Congress and other prom- 



208 LIFE OF WA5HDTGT0N. 

inent individuals had been foolish enough to 
take this view of the matter, and boldly to 
express the opinion that 'Washington's place 
should be given to Lee. The commander-in- 
chief knew all this, and endured it in uncom- 
plaiuing silence; but he was soon to make a 
discovery which filled him with anguish. It 
seems that his bosom-friend. Colonel Eeed, 
had been dazzled by the more showy qualities 
of Lee, and thus expressed himself in a letter 
to that officer ; ''I do not mean to flatter or 
praise you, at the expense of any other, but I 
do think it is entirely owing to you that this 
army, and the liberties of America, so far as 
they are dependent on it, are not entirely cut 
off. You have decision, a quality often want- 
ing in minds otherwise valuable — and I ascribe 
to this our escape from York Island, EJing's 
Bridge, and the Plains ; and I have no doubt, 
had you been here, the garrison of Mount 
Washington would now have composed a part 
of this army; and from all these cu*cum- 
stances, I confess, I do ardently wish to see 
you removed from a place where there will be 
so little call for your judgment and experience, 
to the place where they ai*e likely to be so 
necessary. Xor am I siugular in my opinion ; 



COL. reed's treacheet. 209 

every gentleman of tlie family, tlie officers 
and soldiers generally, have confidence in you. 
The enemy constantly inquire where you are, 
and seem to be less confident when you are 
present." 

In conclusion, Colonel Reed suggests that 
Lee ought to go to Congress, and help to form 
a new and better plan for the army. 

Of course the writer of this infamous letter 
never dreamed that Washington knew any 
thing about it, and it was only an accident 
which made him acquainted with the con- 
spiracy which was formed against him. It so 
happened that Reed was absent from the 
camp for a short time, when it became neces- 
sary for the commander-in-chief to open and 
answer his business letters. One day, a letter 
for Colonel Reed, from General Lee, was 
brought to him, which he examined, as he had 
done in similar cases, and to his perfect amaze- 
ment he found that it contained highly unbe- 
coming language concerning himself, evidently 
in answer to something which Reed had said in 
a communication to which this was the reply. 
In the extracts from Colonel Reed's letter, as 
given above, we know what his observations 
had been. 

18* 



210 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Washington folded up the letter, and in- 
closed it to the owner, with the single remark, 
that he had opened it, supposing it had been 
on public business. We do not envy the feel- 
ings of Eeed, when he received this communi- 
cation. He lived long enough to discover his 
error, and to entreat the forgiveness of him 
whom he had so grievously wronged, and 
Washington possessed enough of Christian 
charity to overlook the offence. 

General Lee delayed coming to the relief of 
the commander-in-chief, when he urged him 
to do so, because he had his own ambitious 
schemes to accomplish, but he suffered for it 
well in the end. He was so headstrono^ and 
perverse, that he fancied he could do pretty 
much as he pleased, and one day while lodging 
at a solitary farm-house, in New Jersey, he 
was taken prisoner, by a small party of the 
enemy. The British thought, for a while, 
that they had gained a great prize, and that 
the Americans would sadly miss so scientific 
and experienced a general. It was, however, 
truly providential that this loss befell them, 
as it put an end to the miserable attempts 
which were made to injure the commander-in- 
chief, and it showed the enemy that there were 



PORTRAITURE OF LEE. 211 

others in the American camp, who had the 
skill to plan and the courage to execute. 

Washington uttered no word of censure 
against Lee, in his despatches to Congress, 
and actually exerted himself in every possible 
way, until he had -ocured his release by an 
exchange."^ Had Lee succeeded in his un- 
worthy purposes, the cause of freedom would 
have been most seriously impaired, and Wash- 
ington made to yield his place to this selfish 
intriguer! "What an unfortunate change 
would it have been for the country ! Lee was 
undoubtedly a man of brilliant talents, shrewd 
sagacity, and much knowledge and experience 
in the art of war ; but he was wilful and un- 
certain in his temper, self-indulgent in his 
habits, and an egotist in warfare ; boldly dash- 
ing for a soldier's glory, rather than warily 
acting for our country's good. He wanted 
those great moral qualities w-hich, in addition 
to military capacity, inspired such universal 



* An ^cchan^ie is an arrangement entered into by two hostile 
armies, by which prisoners taken by the one side will be given 
np for those taken by the other. Thus an American captain 
would be set free by the British, on condition that a British 
captain should be liberated by the Americans, and so with 
other grades of officers. 



212 LIFE OF WASIIINGTO:S'. 

confidence in the wisdom, rectitude, and 
patriotism of Washington, enabling him to 
direct and control legislative bodies as well as 
armies; to harmonize the jarring passions and 
jealousies of a wide and imperfect confederacy, 
and to cope with the various exigencies of the 
Revolution."'^ 

On the night of Christmas, 1776, General 
Washington made one of those bold strokes 
which showed what he was capable of doing, 
when he felt any assurance that he should 
have the hearty support of his soldiers in the 
undertaking. The Hessians under command 
of Colonel Rahl, were stationed at Trenton, 
the Delaware river separating them from the 
American camp. The German soldiers had 
been spending merry Christmas, and little 
suspected any danger on that dismal winter 
night. Great masses of floating ice filled the 
river, and rendered the passage both diflicult 
and dangerous. Washington superintended 
the whole in person, and it was four o'clock in 
the morning before the troops, with the artil- 
lery, had passed safely over, and stood upon 
the eastern shore. There was a terrible storm 

* Irving's Washington, vol. ii., p. 464. 



STJEPRISE OF THE HESSIANS. 213 

of hail and snow, and the wind blew furiously, 
while the thinly clad soldiers, marched nine 
weary miles, marking the whitened ground 
with blood from their shoeless feet. Arrange- 
ments had been made to attack the town at 
two different points, at the same time, and 
about daybreak, as they drew near Trenton, 
Washington, who rode in front, asked a coun- 
tryman chopping wood for his morning-fire, 
which way it w^as to the Hessian picket — for 
so the small guard stationed in front of an 
army is called. 

The prudent fellow had no idea of getting 
himself into trouble, and he replied in a surly 
tone, " I don't know, I'm sure." 

" You need not be afraid to tell," said the 
officer who rode by the side of the commander- 
in-chief; "this is General "Washington." 

" God bless and prosper you, sir," exclaimed 
the man with warmth. " The picket is in that 
house, and the sentry stands near the tree." 

All moved at a quicker pace, and in a mo- 
ment more the fight began. In the midst of 
the noise and excitement, while Washington 
was marching up with fresh troops, an officer 
called out, ''Their flags are struck, sir!" 

"Struck! So they are!" he said, looking 



214 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. ^'"'• 

up, surprised. Then putting spurs to Lis horse, 
he galloj)ed forward, shouting words of cheer. 
More than nine hundred prisoners were taken, 
thirtj-two of them being officers, besides six 
brass field-pieces, and a thousand stand of arms. 
"Washington's triumph was diminished by 
the failure of the other division, which was to 
have crossed before day at Trenton Ferry, and 
taken possession of the bridge leading out of 
the town, over which some of the Hessians 
made their escajDe. Owing to this disappoint- 
ment, he was placed in great peril from being 
so near a powerful body of the enemy, and he 
was obliged to recross the Delaware at once, 
in order to secure his prisoners, and save his 
men from the effects of fatigue and cold. Be- 
fore leaving Trenton, he paid a short visit of 
sympathy to Colonel Kahl, who had been se- 
verely wounded, and who was then in a dying 
state. The feelings of the unfortunate soldier 
were soothed by this attention, and he declared 
that he much preferred to die, now that he had 
suffered the disgrace of so signal a defeat. 
Washington reached the camp in safety, with 
his long train of prisoners, and the valuable 
spoils of war, making a sort of triumphal entry 
into Philadelphia, in order to raise the spirits 



215 

of the people bj that proof of success. The 
end of the year now came, and with it expii'ed 
the term of service of several of the best regi- 
ments in the army. Poor fellows, they had 
endm*ed many hardships, and were most anx- 
ious to return home. Washington, who felt 
the importance of retaining their service, used 
every effort to persuade them to re-enlist, and 
at last succeeded in getting them to consent to 
remain six weeks longer. Hard money must 
now be had to pay them their dues, and the 
military chest was nearly empty. 

Washington sent a letter, by express, to Kob- 
ert Morris, the patriot of Philadelphia, who 
was willing to show his love for his country 
by personal sacrifices, and strange to say he 
induced a Quaker, whose principles would not 
permit him to fight, to supply the needful sum. 

About this time, the commander-in-chief re- 
ceived a letter from a committee of Congress, 
inclosing resolutions of that body, investing 
him with additional military authority. " Hap- 
py is it for this country," write the committee, 
" that the general of their forces can safely be 
intrusted with the most unlimited power, and 
neither personal security, liberty, nor property, 
be in the least degree endangered thereby." 



216 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

The campaign of 1776, which had been 
begun under gloomy auspices, was now finished 
gloriously. 'New Jersey was abandoned by 
the British, with the exception of Brunswick 
and Amboy, and "Washington took up his 
quarters at Morristown. Friends and foes 
were convinced by this time that he could do 
something besides conduct a successful retreat. 



CHAPTER rVTEXTY-FIEST. 

Morristown— Small-pox breaks ont — Attachment of the army 
for their general— Letter-writing — The question about the bad 
treatment of prisoners revived — Disputes about rank among 
the officers — Foreigners applying for commissions — A noble 
Pole — " Try me" — General Howe in no hurry to quit his snug 
quarters — A new chain stretched across the Hudson — Colonel 
Eeed sends an humble apology for his conduct — Washington's 
magnanimous reply — Alexander Hamilton — Sir"NVilJiam Howe 
leaves New Jersey— Gloomy tidings from Ticonderoga— La- 
fayette introduced to the commander-in-chief— His first sight 
of the American army — '• It is to learn, and not to instruct, 
that I came here'' — The army marches through PhiJadelphia 
in grand style — ^Washington's head-quarters at Wikaington. 

TH K principal advantage of Momstown, as 
the winter-quarters of tlie armv, was its 
sitnation in a moiintainons region, whicli the 
British would find it difficnlt to reach, and be- 
ing in the midst of a farming conntrv, provi- 
sions conld be more readily obtained. Here 
Washington spent several months, harassing 
the enemy when it was possible, and exercising 
a general supervision over the American army, 
now scattered at various points from Canada 
to Florida. 

The small-po:^ broke out in the camp, and 
the sufferings of the soldiers were very great, 
19 



218 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Washington caused hospitals to be prepared, 
and did all he could to comfort and cheer the 
sick. An officer, who had witnessed the man- 
ner in which the commander-in-chief had ex- 
posed himself to danger in recent engagements, 
wrote, on the 7th of January, 1777 : " Our ar- 
my love their general very much; but they 
have one thing against him, which is, the little 
care he takes of himself in any action. His 
personal bravery, and the desire he has of ani- 
mating his troops by example, make him fear- 
less of danger. Tliis occasions us much un- 
easiness. But Heaven, which has hitherto 
been his shield, I hope will continue to guard 
so valuable a life." 

The number of letters which "Washington 
wrote during this period was immense. The 
old question of the ill-treatment of prisoners 
drew from him several earnest expostulations, 
addressed to General Howe ; and the case of 
General Lee, in particular, occasioned much 
dispute. The British were at first disposed to 
make an example of that officer, on the ground 
that he had been a deserter from their service ; 
but this charge was so broad that it might have 
included many others who held prominent po- 
sitions in the American army. 



DISPXJTES ABOUT RANK. 219 

As to the treatment of prisoners in general, 
Sir "William Howe insisted that there was re- 
ally no canse of complaint — and he was such a 
good-natured, indolent man, and troubled him- 
self so seldom about what he considered small 
matters, that he probably thought that such 
was really the case. When spring retui-ned, 
however, and the sufferers came forth from con- 
finement, it was in vain to deny that they had 
been most shamefully abused. 

Another subject which cost the commander- 
in-chief many long letters, was the settlement 
of disputes about rank, among the officers, 
who often complained that their service was 
not duly appreciated. 

These difficulties were not lessened by the 
great number of foreigners, especially French- 
men, who were applying for commissions in 
the American army. The natives of this coun- 
try, who had been fighting its battles, did 
not feel disposed to give way to strangers; 
and yet Congress was unwilling to oftend the 
Frenchmen, because they began to cherish 
great hopes that the cause of independence 
might receive valuable aid from this source. 

Kosciusko, a Pole of high rank and educa- 
tion, came to General Washington, with a 



220 LIFE OF WASSlKaTON. 

letter of introduction from Dr. Franklin. 
"What do you seek here?" asked the com- 
mander-in-chief. " To fight for American in- 
dependence," was the prompt response. 
" What can you do ?" said Washington. " Try 
me," answered the brave Pole, — and he was 
received into the family of the commander-in- 
chief as an aid, and proved himself a valuable 
engineer officer. 

General Howe found his quarters in 'New 
York so comfortable, that he was in no haste 
to enter upon a new campaign, and it was 
some time before any conjecture could be 
formed as to his future operations. Washing- 
ton thought that his first effort would be to 
capture Philadelphia, and he resolved to 
dispute the possession of it as long as possible. 

In the spring of 1777, the command of the 
forts on the Hudson was given to General 
Putnam, who now stretched a strong iron 
chain across the river, at Fort Montgomery, 
to prevent the British ships from passing up 
and down. When the month of June had 
brought summer breezes again, and the coun- 
try was more inviting than the city. Sir Wil- 
liam Howe left New York, and spent three 
weeks in trying to tempt Washington to aban- 



221 



don his stroDg position, and meet liim on tlie 
open field. The American general would 
have been extremely happy to gratify him in 
that respect, if he could have placed full confi- 
dence in his troops ; but he slill had reason to 
believe that a half-armed company could not 
be made to face a well-disciplined army, 
whose numbers so far exceeded his own, and 
he therefore pursued a more prudent course. 

While the two armies were changing their 
positions from day to day, Washington receiv- 
ed a most affectionate letter from his old friend 
Heed, making every apology for his conduct 
with reference to General Lee, and begging 
that all that was unpleasant in the past might 
be forgotten. Can any one doubt for a 
moment what answer the high-minded Wash- 
ington would return ? As a man of the world, 
he might still have refused to be reconciled to 
one who had treated him so shamefully, but 
as a Christian he was ready to forgive. Al- 
though the camp was unsettled, Washington 
detained Colonel Eeed's messenger long enough 
to write a brief reply, thanking him for the 
friendly sentiments contained in his communi- 
cation, and assuring him that he felt perfectly 
convinced of the sincerity of them. 
19* 



222 LIFE OF WASHINGTOK. 

''True it is (lie remaiks), I felt myself hurt 
by a certain letter, which appeared at that time 
t(» be the echo of one from you ; I was hurt — 
nor because I thought my judgment Avronged 
by the expressions contained in it, but because 
the same sentiments were not communicated 
iminediatelj to myself. The favorable manner 
in which your opinions, upon all occasions, 
have been received, the impressions they made, 
and the unreserved manner in w^iich I wished 
and required them to be given, entitled me, I 
thought, to your advice upon any point in 
which I appeared to be wanting. To meet 
with any thing, then, that carried with it a 
complexion of withholding that advice from 
me, and censuring my conduct to another, was 
such an argument of disingenuity, that I was 
not a little mortified at it. However, I am 
perfectly satisfied that matters were not as 
they appeared from the letter alluded to." 

And here the unpleasant afifair ended. All 
estrangement disappeared, and the former 
relations of friendly confidence between the 
commander-in-chief and Colonel Reed were 
restored. 

At this time Alexander Hamilton, the 
captain of a New York company of artillery, 



m PHILADELPHIA. 223 

who had distingnished himself during that 
campaign, was acting as one of Washington's 
aids. Although only twenty years of age, his 
faculties were so ripe, and his judgment so 
correct, that he held a high place in the con- 
fidence of the commander-in-chief. 

On the last of June, Sir William Howe left 
New Jersey, and prepared to go on board his 
ships. It was impossible to say whether he 
intended to return to Boston, or to sail up the 
Hudson, or whether Philadelphia would be 
the next point of attack. The American army, 
small as it was, must therefore be divided, in 
order to be ready for any emergency. 

Gloomy tidings now came from Ticonderoga. 
General Schuyler asked for troops, but the 
commander-in-chief could not send them. 

After the delay of several weeks, the Brit- 
ish fleet left New York harbor on the 23d of 
July, when Washington marched to German- 
town, near Philadelphia. While halting here, 
he repeatedly visited the city, to attend to the 
arrangements which were made for its defence 
and to confer with Congress on subjects of the 
utmost importance. 

One day at a public dinner in Philadelphia, 
Washington saw, for the first time, the Mar- 



224 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

qnis de Lafaj'ette, who was destined by Prov- 
idence to be one of his chief supports during 
the rest of the Revohitionary struggle, and his 
dearest friend for life. The young French- 
man, then but twenty years of age, full of the 
romance of liberty, had torn himself away 
from his lovely bride, and the splendors of a 
court, to join the hazardous fortunes of the 
oppressed Americans. He applied to Congress 
for a place in the army, and proposed to serve 
at his own expense. The proposal was accept- 
ed ; and in consideration of his noble birth and 
illustrious connections, and the zeal which he 
had manifested in the cause of freedom, it was 
resolved that he should hold the third rank in 
the army of the United States, that of major- 
general. 

The commander-in-chief is the highest ofli- 
cer, and next is the lieutenant-general. 

But to return to the dinner-party. The 
Marquis knew Washington the moment he saw 
him, being distinguished, as he said after- 
wards, from all who surrounded him, by his 
commanding air and person. Those who 
watched the commander-in-chief, when he was 
introduced to Lafayette, were disposed to 
think that his impressions of the young for- 



LAPATETTE. 225 

eigner were not of the most favorable charac- 
ter ; but as the dinner proceeded, the conver- 
sation of the new-comer seemed to make a 
decided impression upon him. "When the 
company left the table, Washington took him 
aside, and complimented him in a gracious 
manner on his disinterested zeal and the gen- 
erosity of his conduct, and invited him to 
make head-quarters his home. "I cannot 
promise you the luxuries of a court," he said, 
"but as you have become an American 
soldier, you will doubtless accommodate your- 
self to the fare of an American army." 

Lafayette was overjoyed at this kind recep- 
tion, and his horses and equipage were imme- 
diately sent to the camp. He thus wrote, 
concerning his first impressions: "Eleven 
thousand men, but tolerably armed, and still 
worse clad, presented a singular spectacle ; in 
this parti-colored and often naked state, the 
best dresses were hunting-shirts of brown 
linen. Their tactics were equally irregular. 
They were arranged without regard to size, 
excepting that the smallest men were the 
front rank ; with all this, there were good- 
looking soldiers conducted by zealous offi- 



226 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

" We ought to feel embarrassment," said 
Washington, to the marqnis, "in presenting 
ourselves before an officer just from the 
French army." 

" It is to learn, and not to instruct, that I 
came here," was the modest reply, and it 
made him a favorite with all. 

Congress, in conferring upon Lafayette the 
commission of major-general, had intended it 
rather as an honorary appointment, than as 
intrusting him with the command of a division 
of the army. The marquis had taken it in its 
literal sense, and was quite impatient for 
immediate employment. Washington was 
placed in an embarrassing position, but his 
wisdom and prudence overruled all difficulties 
at the last. As there had been a good deal of 
complaining among the citizens of Philadel- 
phia, the friends of the American cause being 
oftentimes discouraged, and its enemies dis- 
posed to make themselves officious and disa- 
greeable, the commander-in-chief concluded to 
march the army through the city, with a view 
to cheer up the sinking spirits of the one party, 
and to check the presumption of the other. 
He accordingly rode at the head of the troops, 
attended by his numerous staif of officers, with 



MAECH THROUGH PHILADELPHIA. 227 

the Marquis de Lafayette by his side.* Every 
effort was made to render the spectacle as 
imposing as possible. The pioneers with their 
axes, the squadrons of horse, the long train of 
artillery, all marching in proper order, the 
soldiers with sprigs of green in their hats, 
presented quite a grand appearance. The 
bray of trumpets, and the stirring sound of 
drum and fife, produced no little excitement 
in the streets of the city of brotherly love. 

The army continued its march to Wilming- 
ton, Delaware, where Washington established 
his head-quarters, his troops being encamped 
on the neighboring heights. 

* Washington always dressed witli most scrupulous taste and 
care. Some of the old people of Philadelphia have been heard 
to say, that on such occasions as that described above, his 
horse's hoofs were blacked and polished as thoroughly as his 
own boots. 



CHAPTEE TWENTY- SECO]^D. 

The British make a landing in Maryland — Light troops sent to 
remove some stores beyond their reach — "Now is the time to 
reap the fruit of our trials" — Battle of the Brandy wine — Alarm 
in Philadelphia — Congress retires to Yorktown — The British 
keep themselves quiet for two days — Graining courage in the 
midst of defeat — The enemy enter Philadelphia in triumph — 
Making the best of circumstances — Engagement at German- 
town— How the news of these things affected the French 
Court— Tidings from the North, both bad and good— Gener- 
al Gates, and the unwarrantable course which his vanity led 
him to take — Forgiving injuries again — Skirmishes at White- 
marsh — "Winter sets in — Sad and dreary march to Valley 
Forge — Building huts and log-houses. 

ON tlie 2 5 til of August, the British army, 
under General Howe, began to land near 
the head of Elk river, in Maryland, at the bot- 
tom of Chesapeake bay. Early in the even- 
ing Washington heard of this, and light troops 
were sent in haste to endeavor to remove some 
valuable stores, which he feared would fall 
into the hands of the enemy. 

The British were within seventy miles of 
Philadelphia, and it was now their intention to 
proceed thither. Washington, accompanied 
by General Greene and the Marquis de Lafay- 
Qtte, rode about for several days, examining the 



BATTLE OP BEANDYWINE. 229 

surrounding country, having fully made up 
his mind that this important city should not 
be captured without a strenuous effort on his 
part to prevent it. He knew that his troops 
were inferior to those of the enemy in num- 
ber, equipments, and discipline, but for once 
he was disposed to yield to the natural ardor 
of his character, and run the risk of a battle. 

On the 5th of September he made known 
his plans to the army, and endeavored to in- 
syjire the souls of all with his own patriotic 
emotions. '' Two years," said he, " have we 
maintained the war, and struggled with diffi- 
culties innumerable ; but the prospect has 
brightened. I^ow is the time to reap the fruit 
of all our toils and dangers. If we behave 
like men, this third campaign will be our last." 

Washington's ieffective force at this time 
numbered fifteen thousand men, poorly equip- 
ped for service, while the enemy amounted to 
eighteen thousand. After some changes of 
position on both sides, the battle began on the 
11th of September. Early in the morning, a 
great column of troops were seen advancing 
on the road leading to Chad's Ford. The 
Americans were immediately drawn out in 
battle array, and as the commander-in-chief 
20 



230 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

rode along tlie fi-ont of the ranks, he was every- 
where received with accLamations. At first, 
the enemy showed so little spirit in their at- 
tack, that it was hoped that an easy victory 
might be gained ; but the idea was abandoned, 
when a message was brought that another di- 
vision had crossed the Brandywine, and were 
coming down on the right. The plan was 
changed — when the information was contra- 
dicted ; but it proved true. Lord Cornwallis 
had mai'ched seventeen miles to get round 
the Americans, and when his heavy guns were 
heard, a sharp attack was made in front. The 
Americans fought bravely for a while, but 
they yielded at last, before superior numbers 
and better discipline.^ 

* From a sermon preached on the eve of the battle of Bran- 
dywine, by the Eev. Jacob Trent, before the American army, 
in presence of General Washington, and other prominent offi- 
cers with the army at that time, we make the following extract. 
It is difficult to read its stirring words without feeling the blood 
tingling in one's veins. 

*' Soldiers 1 I look around npon your familiar faces with 
strange interest. To-morrow we will go forth to the battle ; 
for need I tell you that your unworthy minister will march 
with you, invoking God's aid in the fight ? We will march 
forth to battle 1 Need I exhort you to fight the good fight — to 
fight for your homesteads, for your wives and children ? 

" My friends, I might urge you to fight by the galling memo- 
ries of British wrong. "Walton, I might tell you of your father, 



RETREAT. 231 

Lafayette, who had acted a conspicuou spart, 
was wounded in the leg, and though suffering 
much pain, he shared with Washington and 
Greene in their efforts to check the flight of 
the scattered troops. The retreating army 
encamped for the night at Chester, twelve 
miles from the field of battle. 

The friends of liberty, in Philadelphia, were 
very much alarmed when they heard the re- 
sult of the engagement, and Congress removed 
to Lancaster, and soon afterwards to Yorktown. 



butchered in the silence of night, on the plains of Trenton ; I 
might picture his gray hairs dabbled in blood ; I might ring his 
death-shriek in your ears ! 

" Shelmire, I might tell you of a butchered mother, the 
lonely farm-house, the night assault, the roof in flames, tho 
shouts of the troopers as they despatched their victims, the 
cries for mercy, the pleadings of innocence for pity ! I might 
paint all this again in the vivid colors of the terrible reality, if I 
thought your courage needed such wild excitement. But I 
know you are strong in the might of the Lord. You will march 
forth to battle on the morrow with light hearts and deter- 
mined spirits, though the solemn duty, the duty of avenging 
the dead, may rest heavy on your souls. And in the hour of 
battle, when all around the darkness is lit by the lurid cannon- 
glare and the piercing musket-flash, when the wounded strew 
the ground and the dead litter your path, then remember, sol- 
diers, that God is with you ! The eternal God fights for you ! 
lie rides on the battle-cloud 1 He sweeps onward with the 
march of the hurricane charge ! God, the awful and the infinite, 
tights for you, and will triumph !" 



232 LIFE OF WASHING-TON. 

The British tarried for two days near the 
scene of the last engagement, thus affording 
Washington an opportunity to retreat towards 
PhiladeljDhia, and to make some additional ar- 
rangements for its defence. Although the 
Americans had suffered a defeat, they were 
not as much cast down by it as usual, because 
they had begun to discover their own power, 
and that they could not very easily be mastered, 
even by a well-disciplined army. Indeed, the 
soldiers were in such good spirits, that Washing- 
ton recrossed the Schuylkill on the Idth of Sep- 
tember, with the intention of offering battle to 
Sir William Howe again ; but a violent rain, 
which lasted for four-and-twenty hours, so thor- 
oughly soaked their powder that the attempt 
was reluctantly abandoned. Some troops un- 
der General Wayne were lost during the re- 
treat, very much to the mortification of this 
brave officer, although no blame could be at- 
tached to him in the matter. 

The American general, with his ragged, bare- 
footed soldiers, was in no condition to follow 
the British army through its various marches 
and countermarches, and on the 26th the ar- 
my entered Philadelphia in triumph. They 
regarded this city as a very important acquisi- 



ATTACK ON GEEMANTOWN. 233 

tion, while Washington referred to the loss of 
the seat of government with his accustomed 
equanimity. " This is an event," he writes to 
Governor Trumbull, " which we have reason 
to wish had not hajDpened, and which will be 
attended with several ill consequences ; but I 
hope it will not be so detrimental as many ap-" 
prehend, and that in a little time perseverance 
will give us some favorable opportunity of re- 
covering our loss, and of putting our aftairs in 
a more flourishing condition." 

Indeed, it was something to be proud of, that 
the feeble forces which he commanded had 
been able to prevent the enemy from entering 
Philadelphia before ; and now, that they had 
succeeded in this, he was determined to make 
it a very undesirable situation,' by checking the 
arrival of the fleet, and cutting off supplies by 
land. 

A part of the British troops were encamped 
at Germantown, a short distance from the city, 
and as soon as Washington had given his sol- 
diers a little rest, he made an attack upon them. 
This was on the night of the 3d of October. 
A dense fog mingled friends and foes together, 
and although the commander-in-chief exposed 
himself to the hottest of the fire, and many 
20=- 



234: LIFE OF WASHINGTON-. 

fought bravely, a part of tlie troops were seized 
with a sudden panic and began to fall back, and 
soon the retreat became general. It was ac- 
complished, however, without loss, and, strange 
to say, it exerted a most favorable influence on 
the result of the war. Washington was great- 
ly distressed at the unfortunate discomfiture, 
and said : " It was a bloody day. "Would to 
Heaven I could add that it had been a fortu- 
nate one for us!" 

The British were astonished at the boldness 
of the attack, and when the news of it reached 
Paris, where American commissioners were 
trying to obtain help from France, the prime 
minister of Louis XYI. was so struck with 
Washington's courage, in thus making an as- 
sault upon the superior force of the enemy, 
with an army which had been collected within 
a year, that he felt inspired with a confidence 
which led him to grant the aid that was re- 
quested. 

It was impossible for Washington to attempt 
any thing further until his force should be in- 
creased, and he accordingly took his station 
on strong ground near Philadelphia, guarding 
the roads, and waiting for reinforcements. 

The tidings from the North, which reached 



GENERAL GATES. 235 

him about this time, were of a twofold charac- 
ter.^ The forts on the Hudson had been cap- 
tured by the enemy ; but as an offset to this, 
General Burgoyne and his army had surren- 
dered to General Gates, — an event which filled 
the whole country with joy. 

This officer, like General Lee, was an ambi- 
tious man, and one who thought that he was 
qualified to hold a more important place in the 
army. The glory attending the capture of 
Burgoyne nearly turned his head, although 
the truth is that others had prepared the way 
for this event, while Gates stepped in just in 
time to reap the laurels. Indeed, so forgetful 
was he of ordinary civility, that he contented 
himself with writing to Congress, giving an 
account of the victory, and leaving the com- 
mander-in-chief to hear the news as he might. 

And now the same disgraceful proceedings 
which are related with reference to General 
Lee, were renewed in behalf of General Gates. 
Even members of Congress betrayed their 
weakness by undervaluing the services of 
"Washington, and speaking in exalted terms of 
those of the more successful leader. Through 
all this trying period, the commander-in-chief 
preserved his noble and dignified bearing, and 



236 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

while cut to tlic heart by the ingratitude of 
men who claimed to love their countiy, he 
showed, by his wonderful forbearance, how 
much he was willing to endure for the cause 
in which he had embarked his all. He was 
cheered, also, by aftectionate and symj)athizing 
letters from true and devoted friends. 

In answer to a communication from Mr. 
Laurence, president of Congress, Washington 
says: "My enemies take an ungenerous ad- 
vantage of me. They know the delicacy of my 
situation, and that motives of policy deprive 
me of the defence I might otherwise make 
against their insidious attacks. But why 
should I exj)ect to be exempt from censure, 
the unfailing lot of an elevated situation ? Mer- 
it and talents, with which I can have no pre- 
tensions of rivalship, have ever been subject to 
it. My heart tells me that it has been my un- 
remitting desire to do the best that circum- 
stances would permit; yet I may have been 
very often mistaken in my judgment of the 
means, and may, in many instances, deserve 
the imputation of error." 

Forgetful of his private wrongs, he thought 
only of the public good, and he continued to 
correspond with the men who had behaved so 



REMOVAL TO VALLEY FORGE. 237 

sliamefully towards liim, whenever the aiFairs 
of the army made it desirable to do so. 

Towards the end of ISTovember, the com- 
mander-in-chief examined the defences of Phil- 
adelphia, with a view of attacking the enemy 
in their stronghold ; but his officers dissuaded 
him from making so hazardous an attempt. 

'Not long after the battle of Germantown, 
there were skirmishes between the two armies 
at Whitemarsh, near which Sir William Howe 
was encamped with twelve thousand men. 
Washington's position was too advantageous 
to be abandoned for the sake of attacking. 

The British being on groimd which they had 
selected with care, and the English general be- 
ing equally unwilling to quit his post, no very 
important engagement took place, and after 
three days' mano3uvring the enemy suddenly 
returned to Philadelphia. 

Winter was setting in with all its severity, 
and the troops, worn down by hard service, had 
need of repose. After much consultation on 
the subject, Washington concluded to remove 
to Yalley Forge, in Chester county, — about 
twenty miles from Philadelphia, on the west 
side of the Schuylkill river. This position 
was chosen, as being near enough to the city 



238 



LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 



to enable him to watch the movements of the 
enemy. The march of the troops to Yalley 
Forge was a sad and dreary one,— shoes being 
a luxury enjoyed by few, and a tattered blan- 
ket serving as a covering at night for as many 
as could creep under it. They reached their 
destination on the 17th of December, and the 
next morning began to build huts and log- 
houses for their winter-quarters. 



CHAPTER TT7ENTY-THIED. 

Little of romance at Valley Forge— "Washington encouraging 
the soldiers in their architectural labors — " Fighting will be 
far preferable to starving" — A dangerous meeting checked — 
"Not a single hoof to slaughter"~Patience giving "way— 
Seeking direction from above — "Our cause is lost" — 
"Washington on his knees — Forming a new system for 
the army — Little less than a famine — The British faring 
sumptuously in Philadelphia — "What one of their ovm histo- 
rians says — Mrs. "Washington at Valley Forge — Her labors of 
love— Baron Steuben— Acts as drill-master to the army— The 
British government becomes still more uneasy — Fresh pro- 
posals for reconciliation — Pleasant tidings from France — A 
day of rejoicing at Valley Forge. 

THE place where the American army were 
now encamped is pleasant enough when we 
visit it in summer, and when there is nothing 
to distui'b our peace ; but there was certainly 
little romance about it in the winter of 1777-8. 
In order to encourage the men to be patient, 
and to provide for their comfort as far as 
possible, "Washington offered a reward in 
money to whoever should invent the best mode 
of roofing their log-houses, and in a short time 
the encampment began to assume the appear- 
ance of a rude military village. The huts of 



240 LIFE OF WASHINGTOI?". 

tlie soldiers fronted on streets, and tliose of the 
officers formed a line in the rear. They had 
hardly been employed two days in providing 
a shelter against the piercing cold, when word 
was brought that the enemy had sent out a 
party towards Chester, on a foraging expedi- 
tion. The commander-in-chief issued orders 
to Generals Huntington and Yarnum to be 
ready to march against them on the shortest 
notice. Their replies disclose the pitiable 
condition of the army at the time. The former 
wrote: "Fighting will be far preferable to 
starving. My brigade are out of provisions, 
nor can the commissary obtain any meat. I 
have used every argument my imagination 
can invent to make the soldiers easy, but I 
despair of being able to do it much longer." 

General Yarnum's reply was : " It is a very 
pleasing circumstance to the division under 
my command, that there is a probability of their 
marching; three days, successively, we have 
been destitute of bread. Two days we have 
been entirely without meat. The men must 
be supplied, or they cannot be commanded." 

Indeed, so great was the distress which 
prevailed, that a dangerous mutiny had actual- 
ly broken out among the starving soldiers, and 



SOLDIEES SUFFERmG. 241 

it was with great difficulty that the officers 
kept them under control. This was truly an 
alarming condition of affairs. " J^ot a single 
hoof to slaughter." says Washington, " and 
not more than twenty-five barrels of flour!" 
He might have added, that eleven thousand 
hungry men were looking to him to keep them 
from starvation. ^Washington wrote to the 
president of Congress, describing their wretch- 
ed condition, and urging that better arrange- 
ments might immediately be made to supply 
the camp with provisions. This letter had 
hardly been sent, when he learned that the 
Legislature of Pennsylvania had addressed a 
remonstrance to Congress, against his remain- 
ing in winter-quarters, and suggesting that the 
campaign should be continued without inter- 
ruption. As the general looked upon his 
unsheltered, half-naked, suffering soldiers, 
shivering in the midst of the bitter cold of 
December, his patience gave way, and he 
burst out in a tone of indignation quite 
unusual with him, in his great despatches to 
Congress. "We find gentlemen, without 
knowing whether the army was really going 
into winter-quarters or not (for I am sure no 
resolution of mine would warrant the remon- 
21 



24:2 LIFE OF WASHINGTOI^. 

Btrance), reprobating the measures, as much as 
if they thought the soldiers were made of 
stocks and stones, and equally insensible of 
frost and snow. I can assure those gentlemen 
that it is a much easier and less distressing 
thing to draw remonstrances in a comfortable 
room, by a good fire-side, than to occupy a 
cold, bleak hill, and sleep under frost and 
snow without clothes or blankets. However, 
although they seem to have little feeling for 
the naked and distressed soldiers, I feel super- 
abundantly for them, and, from my soul, I 
pity those miseries which it is neither in my 
power to relieve nor prevent." 
" In the midst of all these j^erplexities and 
troubles, the commander-in-chief sought for 
direction and comfort from God. He was 
frequently observed to visit a secluded grove, 
and when a Tory Quaker followed him one 
day, curious to know what could take him 
there, he was seen upon his knees, engaged in 
earnest prayer. The Quaker returned to his 
family, distressed in mind, and said, ^' Our 
cause is lost ; George "Washington is asking the 
help of the Almighty !" General Knox was 
an accidental witness of the same, and was 
fully apprised that prayer was the object of 




WASHINGTON AT PRAYER. 



PEATEE. 2i3 

the commander's frequent visits to tlie grove. 
'' Few scenes have had so much moral gran- 
deur in them as this. Repeated disaster and 
defeat had disappointed the army and the 
nation. SuJBfcring, to an extreme degree, was 
ill the camp; and thousands of brave men 
were without the necessaries of life. The 
independence of the nation was in jeopardy. 
Attempts were made to stab the reputation of 
the commander, and to degrade him from 
office. Provision for the army was to be 
made ; murmurs and discontents suppressed ; 
calumny to be met ; plans formed for a future 
campaign ; the nation to be inspirited and 
aroused ; an active enemy was in the neigh- 
borhood, flushed with recent victory, and 
preparing to achieve new triumphs ; and in 
these circumstances the father of his country 
went alone, and sought strength and guidance 
from the God of armies and light. The ear of 
Heaven was propitious to his prayer; and 
who can tell how much of the subsequent 
brilliant success of the American armies was in 
answer to the prayers of the American general 
at Yalley Forge ? To latest times it will and 
should be a subject of the deepest interest, 
that the independence of our country was laid, 



24i LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

not only in valor, and patriotism, and wisdom, 
but in prayer. The example of Washington 
will rebuke tlie warrior or the statesman who 
never supplicates the blessing of God on his 
country. It will be encouragement for him 
who prays for its welfare, and its deliverance 
from danger." * 

'*^^ During the winter's encampment in Valley 
Forge, Washington diligently applied, himself 
to the formation of a new system for the army ; 
and, at his solicitation. Congress appointed a 
committee of ^ye to visit the camp and assist 
him in the difficult task. The committee re- 
mained three months, and then made a report 
to Congress. It must have been gratifying to 
Washington that most of the reforms which he 
proposed were promptly adopted. 

A good many letters passed between the 
commander-in-chief and Sir William Howe 
about the exchange of prisoners ; but all ordi- 
nary annoyances could have been endured in 
silence, had the poor soldiers been placed above 
want. " For some days past," writes Wash- 
ington, on the 16th of February, 1Y78, " there 
has been little less than a famine in the camp, 

* Dr. Albert Barnes— Christian Keepsake, for 1840, p. 265. 



INACTION OF THE BRITISH. 245 

— a part of the army lias been a week without 
any kmd of flesh, and the rest, three or four 
days. Naked and starving as they are, we 
cannot enongh admire the incomparable pa- 
tience and fidelity of the soldiery:" 

Meanwhile the British were enjoying them- 
selves in Philadelphia, the ofiicers being quar- 
tered on the wealthy inhabitants, and the sol- 
diers in want of nothing. 

The quiet habits of the city were outraged 
by the dissolute manners of the camp. 

One of their own historians remarks, that 
" during the whole of the long winter of riot 
and dissipation, Washington was suffered to 
remain undisturbed at Yalley Forge, with an 
army not exceeding -SiYO thousand effective 
men, and his cannon frozen up and immovea- 
ble. A nocturnal attack might have forced him 
to a disadvantageous action, comj)elled him to 
a disastrous retreat, leaving behind him his 
sick, cannon, ammunition, and heavy baggage. 
It might have opened the way for supplies to 
the city, and shaken off the lethargy of the 
British army. In a word, had General Howe 
led his troops to action, victory was in his pow- 
er, and conquest in his train." 

While w^e are ready to allow that the Eng- 



246 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

lish commander might have accomplished 
much more than he did, we are persuaded that 
the result of the war would have been the 
same. The cause of freedom was sure to pre- 
vail. 

In the month of February, Mrs. Washington 
joined her husband at Yalley Forge, and took 
up her residence at head-quarters. " The gen- 
eral's apartment is very small," she writes to 
a friend ; " he has had a log-cabin built to dine 
in, which has made our quarters much more 
tolerable than they were at first." 

Mrs. "Washington occupied herself in mak- 
ing shirts for the soldiers, and in visiting and 
relieving the wants of the sick. Her quiet, 
domestic habits, and the great influence she 
exerted, contributed no doubt to allay the ir- 
ritability natural to a large body of men who 
were called to endm-e so many privations. 

Several other ladies shared with her in her 
labors of love, and their presence seemed to 
cast a beam of sunshine upon the surrounding 
gloom. Provisions began to come in more 
abundantly, and supplies on their way to Phil- 
adelphia, to feed the pampered British troops, 
were intercepted and brought into the hungry 
camp of the patriots. 



BAEOX STEUBEN. 24T 

The same month in which Mrs. Wasliington 
came to Yallej Forge, the commander-in-chief 
received a most important addition to the ar- 
my in the person of Baron Steuben, a distin- 
guished German officer, who was particularly 
successful in drilling men. He immediately 
took charge of this department, and his intel- 
ligence and activity soon made a great change 
in the army. The soldiers began to understand 
their duties much better than before, and Wash- 
ington found in the baron an intelligent, dis- 
interested, truthful coadjutor, well worthy the 
badge he wore as a Knight of the Order of 
Fidelity. 

In April, a council of officers was summoned 
by the commander-in-chief, to consider whether 
the campaign should be opened without delay, 
or whether they ought to await the movements 
of the enemy. The latter view was taken by 
the majority. 

The British government began to be uneasy 
lest France should join with the United States ; 
and the loss of Burgoyne's army so increased 
their apprehensions, that it was proposed to 
open again the subject of a reconciliation, and 
to send commissioners to this country to grant 
pardons. 



24:8 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Congress refused to pay any attention to the 
subject, and Washington said, "JSTothing short 
of independence can possibly do." 

In May, the pleasant tidings came that 
France had actually formed an alliance for the 
war, with the United States. The 6th of the 
month was set apart for rejoicing at Yalley 
Forge. The soldiers were assembled in their 
best array, and after solemn thanksgiving by 
the chaplains at the head of each brigade, 
there was a grand parade, a national salute of 
thirteen guns being discharged, the whole ar- 
my joining in one prolonged shout, "Long live 
the King of France ! Long live the friendly 
European powers! Huzza for the American 
States !" 

A sumptuous dinner followed, when patriotic 
toasts were given and loudly applauded. The 
commander-in-chief retired at five o'clock, 
amidst universal cheering and clapping of 
hands, — every one joining in the shout, " Long 
live General Washington !" 



CHAPTER TWEISTTY-FOUETH. 

Sir William Howe recalled to England— His successor displaj'S 
more energy— The British leave Philadelphia— Washington 
in pursuit— Battle of Monmouth— Very unaccountable con- 
duct of General Lee— Sharp words—" I expected my orders 
to be obeyed" — Washington stops the retreat, and begins the 
fight in earnest — " Follow your general"— Welcome repose — 
Lee brought to trial — The end of his military career — The 
French fleet arrives — Several plans proposed, which did not 
succeed well — Great disappointment — Jealousies and disputes 
— Washington as a peace-maker — Count d'Estaing — Letter to 

• Lafayette — No more battles at present — The English fleet en- 
gaged in rather dishonorable pursuits— The American army 
retires into winter-quarters. 

SIR WILLIAM HOWE was recalled to Eng- 
land in May, 1Y78, and Sir Henry Clinton 
took the command in Philadelphia. The Eng- 
lish government had become mnch dissatisfied 
at the way in which the war had been con- 
ducted, and it was hoped that this change 
would be for the better. 

Soon after Sir Henry Clinton had taken the 
command, there were symptoms that the army 
would leave the city, and Washington kept his 
troops in readiness to move in whatever direc- 
tion it should be necessary. Some of the Brit- 



250 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

isli sailed off in their sliips to attack the French 
possessions in the West Indies and Florida, 
and others were sent to 'New York. On the 
18th of June, Sir Henry Clinton, with the re- 
mainder of the army, quietly left Philadelphia, 
and began to march through E'ew Jersey, along 
the eastern bank of the Delaware. 

"Washington followed him, and was much 
disposed to make an attack, although several 
of his officers did not think it best to do so. 
General Lee, who had at last been exchanged, 
and had again joined the army, strongly urged 
that the enemy should be allowed to go on 
without being disturbed. 

Heavy rains and the sultry summer heat 
rendered the movements of Sir Henry very 
slow, and Washington suspected that it might 
be a part of his design to entice the Americans 
down into the level country, and then, by a 
rapid movement on his right, to gain posses- 
sion of the strong ground above, and bring 
on a general engagement on disadvantageous 
terms. 

He accordingly determined that an attack 
should be made on the rear of the British ar- 
my, and for this purpose he sent forward a body 
of men under Lafayette. At his own request, 



251 

General Lee was permitted to join this division, 
and as liis rank was liiglier than that of the 
marquis, he took the command. 

On the night of the 27th, the enemy en- 
camped on high ground near Monmouth Court- 
house, while Lee halted at Englishtown, about 
five miles distant. The commander-in-chief, 
with the main body of the army, was three 
miles in the rear of Lee's division. 

Early the next morning, the British troops 
were in motion, and the Americans attacked 
them soon after they had marched out of the 
town of Monmouth. General Lee sent a mes- 
sage to Washington, who immediately hurried 
around with the whole army, and was in Mon- 
mouth giving directions, when he saw some of 
the Continental troops retreating. He was ex- 
ceedingly provoked, and as there had been very 
little firing, a suspicion crossed his mind that 
Lee was allowing this cowardly movement in 
order to mar the plan of attack which had been 
adopted contrary to his advice. He asked an 
officer whom he met why they were retreating ; 
the reply was that he did not know, but that 
it was by General Lee's orders. 

Just at this moment, Washington saw Lee 
a23proaching with the rest of his command, 



252 LIFE OF "WASHINGTON. 

scampering away from the enemy as fast as 
possible. He was thoroughly roused, and as 
the retreating general rode up, lie demanded 
.of him in his sternest tone, "What is the 
meaning of all this, sir?" 

For a moment, Lee was disconcerted, and 
hesitated. Lafayette reports that Yfashing- 
ton's aspect was terrible. Lee excused him- 
self by saying that he had not been prepared 
to meet the whole British army. 

" I have certain information," replied Wash- 
ington, " that it was merely a strong covering 
party." 

"That may be," said Lee, "but it was 
stronger than mine, and I did not think 
proper to run a risk." 

"I am very sorry," rejoined Washington, 
"that you undertook the command, unless 
you meant to fight the enemy." 

" I did not think it prudent to bring on a 
general engagement," was the answer. 

" Whatever your opinion may have been," 
said Washington, disdainfully, " I expected my 
orders to be obeyed." 

But there was no time for further dispute. 
The enemy were not far off, and the command- 
er-in-chief quickly arranged his troops to meet 



END TO THE RETREAT. 253 

them. His appearance among them liad put 
an end to the retreat."^ 

Lee, finding what course matters were 



* An effort has been made by some, holding infidel views, to 
bring down Washington to the common level of other men, by 
conveying the impression that he was in the habit of swearing ; 
and it is much to be regretted that Mr. Irving, in the last volume 
of his great work, has introduced the most improbable story in 
regard to the profaneness of which Washington is represented 
to have been guilty, upon hearing of St. Clair's defeat (vol. v., 
pp. 102, 103). Let any one read this account, and compare it 
with every other incident in the life of the hero and the sage, 
and say whether it appears at all like him. He was a man of 
strong passions, we will allow (and few very great men have 
been otherwise), but they were wonderfully regulated and con- 
trolled by religious principle. 

The following interesting communication from General 
Joseph G. Swift, of Geneva, N. Y., will be read with interest : 
"I had long ago heard of Washington's using harsh language 
to Lee at Monmouth ; and having, in 1804, a letter of introduc- 
tion to General Marshall, at Eichmond, I inquired as to the facts. 
The general said that the story of coarse language between 
Washington and Lee loas not true. General Marshall was cap- 
tain on the field of Monmouth, and near Washington. He 
stated that Lee's language was decorous^ and that Washington's 
manner and language were austere, but not profane. In the 
year 1802, I was in Albany with my then chief. Colonel Wil- 
liams, and there heard General Alexander Hamilton say to Gen- 
eral Schuyler and Colonel Williams, that the story of General 
Washington's profanity at Fort Lee, on a visit of inspection, 
was not true. Washington was disappointed at not finding the 
commandant at his post, and expressed his displeasure in 
strong language, but not with an oath. While a member of 
General Thomas Pinckney's military family in South Carolina, 
22 



254 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

takliifx, became moi-e snbcliied and respectful, 
and when Wjisliiiigton requested him to take 
proper measures to check tlie enemy, he 



1812. I heard his brotlier, General C. C. Pinckney, frequently 
mention conversations ■with General Washinf]^ton. He said 
that he was habitually grave in discourse, cautious in expres- 
sion, slow and accurate in judgment, but with intimate friends 
easy, tiiongh rarely jocose. Now General C. C. Pinckney was 
remarkable for fiicetiousness and humor, and at the table of his 
brother was fond of conversing with young men ; neither of 
these brothers believed the story of Washington's swearing at 
Lee. At tlie meeting of Washington and Lee, the language of 
the former might be more to imdo the evil then in progress, 
than to expend Avords on Lee. It is fair to conclude that 
Washington's mind, so well known for coolness in battle, 
would be far more engaged in restoring the order of the day in 
pursuit of the enemy, than in applying epithets to Lee. 
~" "With General Cobb, Colonel Humphries, Major Bayliss, 
and Colonel Trumbull, all of the military family of Washing- 
ton, I had the acquaintance which a subaltern may have with 
aged superiors. Of them I asked of their intercourse with 
Washington, and though it may be presumed that such persons 
would not recount small defects which, if existing, they may 
have observed, still I learned from them many interesting facts 
of intercourse in camp, and generally that with kind feelings 
for all dependent upon him, he was sometimes vehement in 
language to delinquents, but ever just. I have no doubt that 
when the occasion made it proper, Washington denounced a 
delinquent in the field with an awful severity, but not with 
profanity. The first and third articles of war, of 20th of Sep- 
tember, 1776, command divine service, and forbid profonity ; 
and it is not probable that Washington would have set an 
example of disrespect to a law, the enactment of which he him- 
self had counselled." 



FOLLOW YOUR GENERAL. 255 

promptly answered, " Your orders shall be 
obeyed, and I will not be tlie first to leave the 
field." It is but justice to add that his bravery 
during the engagement which followed, showed 
that an imcoutroUed temper had led him to 
commit the foolish act which so nearly brought 
lasting disgrace upon his name. 

Washington having directed Colonel Stew- 
art and Lieutenant-colonel Kamsey, with their 
regiments, to station themselves in a covert of 
woods, to check the advance of the British, 
waved his sword above his head, and shouted 
as he spurred forward, " Follow your general !" 
Heedless of the remonstrances of his officers, 
he exposed himself, under a burning sun, to 
every danger throughout the action, and 
animated the soldiers to do their duty by his 
own brave daring. Xi^-ht came before the 
battle was ended ; and the troops, completely 
exhausted, lay down to rest, Washington 
wrapping himself in his cloak, and sleeping at 
the foot of a tree, in the midst of his soldiers. 

At daybreak the drums roused them from 
their slumbers, and when all started up, 
prepared to renew the contest, they discovered 
that the British had taken advantage of the 
darkness to make good their escape. Al- 



256 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

thongli the Americans had been decidedly the 
gainers in the battle of the previous day, 
Washington thought it unwise to attemj)t a 
pursuit, as the weather was distressingly hot, 
and the men were much exhausted by their 
exertions. 

As it was important, now, to be near the 
city of 'New York, in order to watch the 
fleet, and the movements of the army, he en- 
camped for a while at Paramus, in New Jer- 
sey. General Lee was tried by a court-martial 
for his behavior at Monmouth, and although he 
made a better defence than could have been 
expected, he was ordered to be deprived of his 
command for a year. At the end of that time, 
he offended Congress by a very hasty, disre- 
spectful note, and never returned to the army. 
Before and after the trial he made himself 
many enemies by his abuse of General Wash- 
ington, whose conduct towards him was re- 
spectful and courteous, and free from the spirit 
of revenge which a mind less noble would have 
cherished. 

On the 8th of July, a French fleet, under 
the command of Count d'Estaing, arrived and 
anchored at the mouth of the Delaware. This 
consisted of twelve ships of the line, and six 



FLEETS DAMAGED. 257 

frigates, with a land force of four thousand 
men. The French commander immediately 
wrote to General Washington, in the most po- 
lite and cordial manner; and plans were ar- 
ranged for a great naval battle in New York 
harbor between the fleets, while the Americans 
prepared for an attack on the citj immediately 
afterwards. It turned out, however, that the 
French ships were too large to enter the harbor, 
and so all this bustle and expectation amount- 
ed to nothing. A scheme was then proposed 
for an attack on Rhode Island, where the 
British had valuable stores of ammunition, &c., 
and General Sullivan, who had command at 
Providence, was to be assisted by the troops 
under Lafayette and General Greene. The 
French fleet accordingly sailed into Newport 
harbor, and Lord Howe followed. The Amer- 
ican forces drew near the town, and the fleet 
stood out to sea for an engagement, when a 
furious storm came on and dispersed and dam- 
aged them so much that Lord Howe went back 
to New York to refit, and the French admiral 
sailed for Boston, for the same purpose. The 
American generals urged him to remain, but 
having failed in this, they left the island in all 
haste, greatly disappointed at the result of the 

22- 



268 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

expedition. The whole conn try, which had 
expected so much from a project thns happi- 
ly conceived, united in expressions of regret 
and mortification at its fruitless termination. 

Unpleasant jealousies sprang u]3 between 
the French and American officers who had 
been engaged in the afi'air, and it required all 
General Washington's skill as a j)eace-maker 
to prevent the breach from widening too much 
to be successfully healed. 

Some very hard things were said by the 
Americans, which the count felt deeply, but 
his own conduct was in perfect keeping with 
the character of a refined gentleman and a 
gallant officer. 

In the midst of these unpleasant difficulties, 
the commander-in-chief remarked, in a letter to 
a friend : " It is not a little pleasing, nor less 
wonderful, to contemplate that after two years' 
manoeuvring and undergoing the strangest vi- 
cissitudes that, perhaps, ever attended any one 
contest since the creation, both armies are 
brought back to the very point they set out 
from ; and that the offending party at the be- 
ginning, is now reduced to the use of the spade 
and pick-axe for defence. The hand of Provi- 
dence has been so conspicuous in all this, that 



EECO>"CILrN"G DIFFEEEXCrS. 259 

he must be woi-se than an infidel that lacks 
faith, and more than wicked, that has not grat- 
itude enough to acknowledge his obligations. 

" But it will be time enough to turn preach- 
er when my present appointment ceases ; and, 
therefore, I shall add no more on the doctrine 
of Providence, but make a tender of my best 
respects to your good lady, the secretary, and 
other friends ; and assure you, that, with the 
most perfect regard, I am, dear sir,'' etc. 

The unhappy difierence of opinion between 
the French and American officers, so warmly 
and even rudely expressed by the latter, gave 
TTashinorton a new cause of uneasiness, and 
involved him in endless annoyances, persuad- 
ings, and pacifyings. 

He writes to Lalayette : ''In one word, let 
me say, I feel every thing that hurts the sensi- 
bility of a gentleman ; and consequently, upon 
the present occasion, I feel for yon and our 
good and great allies, the French. I feel my- 
self hurt, also, at every illiberal and unthink- 
ing reflection which may have been cast upon 
the Count d'Estaing, or the conduct of the 
fleet under his command ; and lastly, I feel 
for my country. Let me entreat you, there- 
fore, my deal- marquis, to take no exceptions at 



260 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

unmeaning expressions, uttered, perhaps, with- 
out consideration, and in the first transport of 
disappointed hope. Everybody, sir, who rea- 
sons, will acknowledge the advantages which 
we have derived from the French fleet, and 
the zeal of the commander of it; but in a 
free and republican government, you cannot 
restrain the voice of the multitude. Every 
man will speak as he thinks, or, more proper- 
ly, without thinking — and consequently will 
judge of effects without attending to the causes. 
The censures which have been levelled at the 
oflicers of the French fleet, would more than 
probably have fallen in a much higher degree 
upon a fleet of our own, if we had one in the 
same situation. It is the nature of man to be 
displeased with every thing that disappoints 
a favorite hope or a flattering project, and it 
is the folly of too many of them to condemn 
without investigating circumstances. Let me 
beseech you, therefore, my good sir, to afford 
a healing hand to the wound that unintention- 
ally has been made. America esteems your 
virtues and your services, and admires the 
principles upon which you act. Your coun- 
trymen in our army look up to y^ou as their 
patron. The count and his oflicers consider 



BEITISH FLEET PLUXDERIXG. 261 

you as a man high, in rank, and liigh in esti- 
mation here and also in France ; and I, your 
friend, have no doubt but you -will use your 
utmost endeavors to restore harmony, that the 
honor, glory, and mutual interests of the two 
nations may be promoted and cemented in 
the firmest manner. I would say more on the 
subject, but am restrained for the want of time ; 
and therefore shall only add, that, with every 
sentiment of esteem and regard, I am, my 
dear marquis," &c. 

Xo more battles were fought during this 
campaign. The British fleet moved about on 
plundering expeditions, stopping before some 
flourishing town, burning the houses, and 
carrying ofi* property, or sending a detach- 
ment into the country to rob the fanners of 
provisions and forage. In November, a part 
of the ships set sail for an attack on the island 
of St. Lucie, belonging to the French, while 
another division carried troops to Georgia. 
The next month, '^Vashington established the 
army for the winter, his own head-quarters 
being at Atiddlebrook, in Xew Jersey. The 
line of the encampment extended as far as 
Danbury in Connecticut, as it was important 
to be near the Hudson. 



CHAPTEK TWENTY-FIFTH. 

Lafayette returns to France — His scheme for the invasion of 
Canada — Washington disapproves of it — Five anxious weeks 
at Philadelphia — Perilous condition of public aflairs — Letter 
to Colonel Harrison— Advises that abler men be sent to Con- 
gress — No flowery path — Confiding in an overruling Provi- 
dence—Forty paper dollars for one of silver— Small things 
proposed for the next campaign— Sir Henry Clinton's com- 
plaint — General Sullivan sent against the Indians — The two 
armies remove to the shores of the Hudson— Capture of 
Stony Point — General praise well deserved — Washington not 
kept informed of the state of public aflfairs— The style of 
living at head-quarters — Two beef-steak pies and tin plates — 
Grace and ceremony — " Light-horse Harry" — Attack on the 
fort at Paulus Hook. 

THE Marquis de Lafayette, seeing no imme- 
diate prospect of active employment in the 
United States, and expecting that the war 
would soon break out in Europe, was now 
desirous of returning to France, and offering 
his services to his sovereign. He did not 
intend, however, to desert the cause of free- 
dom here, and therefore he only asked leave 
of absence from Congress during the next 
winter. Permission was granted accordingly, 
and, followed by the kind wishes of thousands, 
he departed. 



PEUDENCE OPPOSIXG A^ilBITION. 263 

The enthusiastic young Frenchman was 
eager for a gi^and plan of an invasion of Cana- 
da the next year, with the combined forces of 
France and the United States. Congress 
consulted with General Washington on the 
subject, and, after mature deliberation, he 
could not give it his approval. Such a cam- 
paign would require a vast outlay of money, 
and would bring the country under too great 
obligations to France. Washington spent five 
anxious weeks at Philadelphia, arguing against 
those who preferred some dashing achieve- 
ment (no matter what it might cost), to the 
prudent measures which he jDroposed. 

The nation was indeed in a dangerous con- 
dition. The master-spirits who had composed 
the first Congress had given p>lace to men of 
inferior claims to public confidence, and whose 
patriotism by no means burned so brightly as 
it might. The commander-in-chief realized 
all this, and he expressed his sentiments very 
frankly, in a letter to Colonel Harrison, the 
speaker of the Yirginian House of Delegates, 
dated December 30th, 1T7S. 

'- Our aftairs are in a more distressed, ruinous, 
and deplorable condition than they have been 
since the commencement of the war. By a faith- 



264: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

ful laborer, then, in the cause ; by a man who i^ 
daily injuring his private estate without the 
smallest earthly advantage, not common to all 
in case of a favorable issue to the dispute ; by 
one who wishes the prosperity of America 
most devoutly, but has it, or thinks he has 
it on the brink of ruin, you are besought most 
earnestly, my dear Colonel Harrison, to exert 
yourself in endeavoring to rescue your coun- 
try, by sending your best and ablest men to 
Congress. These characters must not slumber 
or f'eep at home in such a time of pressing- 
danger. They must not content themselves 
with the enjoyment of places of honor or profit 
in their own State, while the common interests 
of America are mouldering and sinking into 
irretrievable ruin. . . If I were to be called 
upon to draw a picture of the times, and of 
men, from what I have seen, heard, and in 
part know, I should, in one word, say, that 
idleness, dissipation, and extravagance seem to 
have laid fast hold of most of them ; that spec- 
ulation, peculation, and an insatiable thirst for 
riches, seem to have got the better of every 
other consideration, and almost of every order 
of men; that party disputes and personal 
quari^els are the great business of the day; 



CONDITION OP THE COUNTRY. 265 

while the momentous concerns of an empire, 
a great and accumulating debt, ruined finan- 
ces, depreciated money, and want of credit, 
which in its consequences is the want of every 
thing, are but secondary considerations, and 
postponed from day to day, from week to 
week, as if our affairs wore the most promising 
aspect. ... In the present situation of things, 
I cannot help asking where are Mason, Try the, 
Jefferson, Nicholas, Pendleton, I^elson, and 
another I could name ? And why, if you are 
sufficiently impressed with your danger,"^do 
you not, as IsTew York has done in the case of 
Mr. Jay, send an extra member or two, for at 
least a limited time, till the great business of 
the nation is put upon a more respectable and 
happy establishment? .... I confess to you 
I feel more real distress on account of the 
present appearance of things, than I have 
done at any other time since the commence- 
ment of the dispute." Nothing seems to have 
disgusted him more, during his visits to Phila- 
delphia, than the manner in which the con- 
cerns of the patriot camp were forgotten amid 
the revelry of the capital. " An assembly, a 
concert, a dinner, a supper, that will cost 
three or four hundred pounds, will not only 

23 



266 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

take men oif from acting in this business, but 
even from thinking of it, while a great part of 
the officers of our army, from absohite necessi- 
ty, are quitting the service, and the more 
virtuous few, rather than do this, are sinking 
by sure degrees into beggary and want." 

The money matters of the country were in 
a wretched condition, and it was extremely 
difficult to get gold and silver. Forty paper 
dollars of the continental currency were now 
only worth one of silver, and the consequence 
w^as that the price of provisions became really 
enormous, and it was almost impossible to 
purchase supplies for the army. 

Under these circumstances, Washington 
proposed that little should be attempted during 
the next campaign, except to defend them- 
selves and annoy the enemy by occasional 
skirmishes, thus allowing the farmers an op- 
portunity to get in their crops, and to prepare 
for more energetic measures in future. Mean- 
while, the British government would be sup- 
porting its troops here at immense cost, and in 
course of time the patience of officers and 
men would be exhausted. The result showed 
the wisdom of this advice, and at length. Sir 
Henry Clinton wrote home : " The precautions 



CHASTISING THE INDIANS. 267 

that General Wasliingtoii lias liad leisure to 
take, make me hopeless of bringing him to a 
general action. And to say the truth, my 
lord, my spirits are worn out by struggling 
against the consequences of many adverse 
incidents, which, without appearing to account 
for my situation, have effectually oppressed 
me." 

General "Washington recommended that an 
expedition should be sent against the Indians 
in the southern part of New York, near the 
Susquehanna Kiver, to retaliate on them for 
their cruelties in laying waste the Yalley of 
Wyoming, in the autumn of 1778. He was 
too well acquainted with the character of the 
red men, to expect that a mere war of defence 
would have much effect upon them. General 
Sullivan was accordingly sent out, in the 
spring of 1779, with a strong force, — and the 
savages were defeated, and their wigwams and 
cornfields destroyed. 

As Sir Henry Clinton showed every dispo- 
sition to get command of the Hudson, and 
had already obtained possession of Stony 
Point, and Yerplanck's Point, opposite to it, 
Washington removed to l^ew Windsor, a few 
miles above West Point, the most important 



LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

fortress on the river. His army was stationed 
in the neighborhood, and the men were busily 
employed in strengthening the works. 

In July, while the British were engaged in 
plundering the State of Connecticut, the com- 
mander-in-chief planned an attempt to regain 
Stony Point. The surprise party was led by 
General Wayne, commonly known as "Mad 
Anthony," from his desperate courage in bat- 
tle. The attack was completely successful, and 
Washington, with his usual generosity, in writ- 
ing to Congress, in praise of General Wayne, 
says : " He improved upon the plan suggested 
by me, and executed it in a manner that does 
signal honor to his judgment and to his bravery. 
Every officer and man of the corps deserves 
great credit; but there were particular ones 
whose situation placed them foremost in dan- 
ger, and made their conduct more conspicuous." 

Upon examining the works at Stony Point, 
AYashington found that he had not men enough 
to defend it against the enemy, and finish the 
fortifications, and for this reason he directed 
that the fort should be destroyed. 

Sir Henry Clinton afterwards recaptured the 
place and fortified it again. 

In August, Washington writes from head- 



PLAIN LIVING. 269 

quarters, at West Point, rather complaiDing of 
the little care taken bj Congress to inform him 
of the condition of public affairs: "I shall be 
happy in such communications as your leisure 
and other considerations Avill permit you to 
transmit to me, for I am as totally unacquaint- 
ed with the political state of things, and what 
is going forward in the great national council, 
as if I was an alien, when a competent knowl- 
edge of the temper and designs of our allies 
from time to time, and the frequent changes 
and complexion of affairs in Europe, might, 
as they ought to do, have a considerable influ- 
ence on the operations of our army, and would 
in many cases determine the propriety of meas- 
ures, which, under a cloud of darkness, can 
only be guessed at." 

The style of living at head-quarters has often 
been spoken of as very plain indeed. Here is 
an account of it from General Washington's 
own pen : 

"West Poixt, August 16^ 1779. 
" To De. John Cochean. 

" Dear doctor : I have asked Mrs. Cochran 
and Mrs. Livingston to dine with me to-mor- 
row — but am I not bound in honor to apprise 



2Y0 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

them of their fare ? As I hate deception, even 
when the imagination is concerned, I wilL It 
is needless to presume that my table is large 
enough to hold the ladies, — of this they had 
ocular proof yesterday. To say how it is usu- 
ally covered is more essential ; and this shall 
he the purport of my letter. 

" Since our arrival at this happy spot, we have 
had a ham, sometimes a shoulder of bacon, to 
grace the head of the table. A piece of roast 
beef adorns the foot, and a dish of beans, or 
greens, almost imperceptible, decorates the 
centre. When the cook has a mind to cut a 
figure — which, I presume, will be the case to- 
morrow — we have two beef-steak pies, or dish- 
es of crabs in addition, one on each side of the 
centre dish, dividing the space and reducing 
the distance between dish and dish to about 
six feet, which without them would be near 
twelve feet apart. Of late, he has had the sur- 
prising sagacity to discover that apples will 
make pies ; and it is a question if, in the vio- 
lence of his efforts, we do not get one of ap- 
ples instead of having both of beef-steaks. If 
the ladies can put up with such entertainment, 
and will submit to j)artake of it on plates once 
tin, but now iron (not become so by the labor 



attace: ox paulus hooe:. 271 

of seouringj, I shall be liappy to see them ; and 
am, dear doctor, Yours, cfcc.*' 

Although the fare at the table of the com- 
mander-in-chief was so uninviting to an epi- 
cure, the ladies were no doubt handed in to 
dinner with as much grace and ceremony as if 
dainties from the four quarters of the globe 
had been spread out before them. 

One other entei-prise closed the militaiy op- 
erations of the year. This was a successful at- 
tack on a fort at Paulus Hook, opposite Xew 
York, planned and conducted by Major Henry- 
Lee, a brave officer, who is often called *• Light- 
horse HaiTy," from the troop he commanded. 
It is generally supposed that his mother was 
the '• lowland beauty*' whom Washington, in 
his youth, so greatly admired. 



CHAPTEE TWENTY-SIXTH. 

British and Americans both anxious to know what the French 
fleet would do — Washington's quarters once more — Hard 
times — New Jersey does her part — Intense cold — Arnold tried 
and reprimanded — The Southern States in danger — The con- 
dition of the army becomes desperate — A mutiny breaks out 
— Lafayette returns to America — Another French fleet arrives 
— White and black cockades—Gates' defeat at Camden — Ar- 
nold begins to contrive evil things against his country — Fif- 
teen months' secret correspondence with the enemy — Major 
Andre comes to West Point to see him — All arrangements 
made— The British spy sets out on his return — His capture — 
Colonel Jameson's strange blunder — A surprise at the break- 
fast-table — The traitor saves his neck — " Whom can we trust 
now?" — Washington's kindness to Mrs. Arnold. 

DURING the summer and autmiin of 1779, 
the movements of the French fleet were 
the subject of great interest to both armies. 
While Washington was hoping that it would 
come to 'New York, and help him in snatching 
the city from the British, Sir Henry Clinton 
fully expected that such an attempt would be 
made, and therefore was afraid to send any of 
his troops to the Southern States. In this point 
of view, the uncertainty was of advantage to 
the Americans. 

After the defeat of the French and Ameri- 



CAMP AT MOEKISTOWIs". 2Y3 

cans at Savannah, Count d'Estaing left the 
coast of the United States, and thus all hope 
of assistance in that quarter was abandoned. 
The news reached Washington in ISTovember, 
and he immediately set about placing his army 
in winter-quarters at Morristown and in the 
Highlands. As soon as Sir Henry Clinton felt 
sure that the French fleet had taken its depart- 
ure, he marched for the South, — the command- 
er-in-chief detaching at the same time all the 
troops he could spare for the protection of their 
own homes. 

The dreary experience of Yalley Forge was 
realized once more, in the privations and suf- 
ferings which the American army endm'ed, 
while encamped among the heights of Morris- 
town. For weeks at a time the soldiers were 
on half allowance, — sometimes in want of meat, 
sometimes without bread, and often even want- 
ing both. Clothing and blankets were scarce, 
and to add to their discomfort, the winter was 
unusually severe. "For a fortnight past," 
writes the commander-in-chief, on the 8th of 
January, 1780, " the troops, both officers and 
men, have been almost perishing with want. 
Yet they have borne their sufferings with a 
patience that merits the approbation, and 



274 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

ought to excite tlie sympathies of their conn- 
tiymcn." 

Washington was obliged to ask the State of 
Kew Jersey to furnish the supplies which it 
was impossible to purchase, and the application 
met with a prompt response. The farmers 
brought provisions and clothes for the soldiers, 
while their wives and daughters were busy in 
sewing and knitting for their benefit. 

As the winter advanced, the cold became 
more intense, and the great bay of 'New York 
was frozen over. The enemy were apprehen- 
sive lest the Americans should cross on the ice 
and make an attack on the city ; but they had 
too much to think of in their own suffering 
condition to attempt any thing of the sort. 
The most painful duty which Washington had 
to perform during this winter's encampment, 
was the examination of a complaint brought 
by the government of Pennsylvania against 
General Benedict Arnold, who had command- 
ed at Philadelphia since the British left in 1778. 
This officer's capacity and bravery were im- 
doubted, and on more than one occasion he 
had displayed great devotion to his country. 
Soon after his removal to Philadelphia, he paid 
his addresses to Mrs. Margaret Shippen, one 



AEXOLD EEPKIMAXDED. 275 

of the reigning belles, and married lier. He 
now took one of the finest houses in the city, 
and lived in a style of splendor little becoming 
a republican general. Before this, he had been 
accused of wasting the public money which 
had been intrusted to him, and when people 
saw his carriage-and-foui* dashing about the 
streets, and his long train of servants, they be- 
gan to think that something was wrong, and 
many did not hesitate to say so. After making 
every excuse for him that we can, it is impos- 
sible to deny that Ai^nold had been extrava- 
gant and domineering, and it is no wonder that 
he was regarded with distrust. ATashington's 
sympathies were, however, much more with 
him than with those who accused him of wrong, 
and when a reprimand was ordered by a court- 
martial to be admiufstered by the commander- 
in-chief, he expressed it in as gentle and unex- 
ceptionable language as could be used on such 
an occasion. 

'^ Our profession is the chastest of all (so this 
delicate reproof was worded), even the shadow 
of a fault tarnishes the lustre of our finest 
achievements. The least inadvertence may 
rob us of public favor, so hard to be acquired. 
I reprehend you for having forgotten, that in 



276 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

proportion as you liave rendered yourself for- 
midable to our enemies, you sliould liave been 
guarded and temperate in your deportment 
towards your fellow-citizens. Exhibit anew 
those noble qualities which have placed you 
on the list of our most valued commanders. 
I will myself furnish you, as far as it may be 
in my power, with opportunities of regaining 
the esteem of your country." 

We shall soon hear of General Arnold again. 
The return of spring brought little relief to 
the American troops, as provisions and money 
continued to be scarce. Washington was 
very anxious for the safety of the Southern 
States, and he would gladly have gone thither 
to oppose the operations of Sir Henry Clinton, 
but it was impossible for him to leave the 
ISTorth. As the best thing that he could do, 
he sent the Maryland troops and a regiment 
of artillery, under Baron de Kalb, to aid 
in saving the Carolinas from the ravages of 
the enemy. He thus writes to this gallant 
officer, on the 2d of April : " The prospect, 
my dear baron, is gloomy ; and the storm 
threatens ; but I hope we shall extricate our- 
selves and bring every thing to a prosper- 
ous issue. I have been so inured to difficul- 



DESTirrTIOX OF THE ARMY. 277 

ties in the course of this contest, that I have 
learned to look npon them with more tranquil- 
lity than formerly. Those which now present 
themselves no doubt require vigorous exer- 
tions to overcome them, and I am, far from de- 
sjyairing of dmng ity 

The condition of the army became so des- 
perate, that Congress, after some discnssion, 
concluded to send a committee of three to head- 
quarters to consult with the commander-in- 
chief as to the best mode of relief. One of 
the number was TVashington's old friend and 
coadjutor. General Schuyler. When the com- 
mittee reached, the camp, they found affairs 
in a worse state than they could have imag- 
ined ; the soldiers having received no pay for 
five months past, and every department being 
destitute of money or credit. Sometimes the 
men had gone several days without tasting 
meat, and at others, the officers had lived on 
bread and cheese, so that the soldiers might 
not be stinted in their meagre diet. 

At this gloomy period, a letter was received 
from the Marquis de Lafayette, announcing 
his arrival at Boston. Washington's eyes were 
wet with tears of joy as he read the welcome 
epistle. 

24 



278 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Lafayette brought the cheering tidings that 
another French fleet, witli a body of troops, 
might soon be expected, to assist the Ameri- 
cans in the contest. lie hastened to Phihidel- 
phia to offer his services to Congress, and 
v.'hilo there, Washington wrote to him : '' Fin- 
ish jour business as soon as you can, and hast- 
en lioiae — for so I woukl always have you 
consider head-quarters and my liouse." 

On the 25th of May, several days of actual 
famine drove the soldiers to desperation, and 
two Connecticut regiments assembled at the 
beat of the drum, and declared their intention 
to return home, or at any rate to gain subsist- 
ence at the point of the bayonet. The muti- 
ny was suppressed with some difficulty, and 
"Washington, besides writing to Congress, sent 
an earnest letter to President Reed, calling on 
the State of Pennsylvania for flour. He saw, 
with anxiety, the nation was disposed to rely 
too much on France, and that Congress was 
divided into parties, making it difficult to se- 
cure united action on any subject. 

About this time came tidings of the loss of 
Charleston, South Carolina, and this was soon 
followed by the return of Sir Henry Clinton 
to JS'ew York, who had left a part of his forces, 



NEW FRENCH FLEET. 279 

under Lord Cornwallis, to carry tlie war in- 
to IN'orth Carolina, and thence into Virginia. 

During the spring the enemy made two ex- 
peditions into JSTew Jersey, partly for plunder 
and partly to tempt Washington to an en- 
gagement, but a few skirmishes were the only 
result. 

The French fleet reached Newport early in 
July, and Count de Kochambeau, the com- 
mander of the land forces, wrote to General 
Washington, informing him of their safe ar- 
rival and expressing a generous sympathy 
with him in his noble services for his country. 
Lafayette was sent forthwith to explain the 
wishes and intentions of the commander-in- 
chief, and proposals were made for a combined 
attack on New York. The French admiral 
consented to such an arrangement whenever 
his own force should be superior to the British, 
and as another division of the fleet was ex- 
pected, it was hoped that there would be no 
long delay. 

While these plans were talked of, Sir Hen- 
ry Clinton embarked at New York, for an 
attack on the French encampment at Newport. 
Washington hearing of his departure, proposed 
to march with the main body of his troops to- 



280 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

wards King's Bridge with a view of obliging 
the English General to abandon his project 
against Rhode Island, or to strike a blow at 
New York during his absence. His purpose 
was accomplished in part, for Sir Henry Clin- 
ton hastened back to the city, leaving Admi- 
ral Arbnthnot to blockade the French fleet in 
IN'ewport harbor. 

The 'New England militia had been assem- 
bled in anticipation of this attack, and the 
intercourse between the French and Ameri- 
cans was much more agreeable than it had 
ever been before. Washington took pains to 
encourage this friendly spirit, and he recom- 
mended the wearing of a mixed cockade of 
black and white, in compliment to the French, 
who had hitherto worn white, and the Ameri- 
cans black ones. 

September brought the melancholy tidings 
of the defeat of General Gates at Camden, 
North Carolina, and the shock was the greater, 
as previous reports had prepared the public to 
expect a very different result. But a fresh 
misfortune was soon to follow, the hardest of 
all to bear — the base treachery of one who 
had fought and bled for his country. 

Arnold had been much mortified and en- 



BENEDICT ARNOLD. 281 

raged by the action of the court-martial which 
had tried him for his miscoDdnct, and he re- 
solved to be avenged. Wiih this purpose in 
view, he had been looking about to discover 
in what way he could inflict the severest blow 
upon the cause of independence. After due 
reflection, he determined to obtain the com- 
mand at West Point, in order that he might 
deliver it up to the enemy. The black-heart- 
ed traitor opened a correspondence with Sir 
Henry Clinton, in a disguised handwriting, 
and under the signature of Gustavics^ repre- 
senting himself as a person of importance in 
the American army, who had been dissatisfied 
with the French alliance, and was anxious to 
join the cause of Great Britain. The English 
general did not know for some time who his 
secret correspondent was, but he had all his 
letters promptly answered by his aide-de-camp, 
Major Andre, whose fictitious signature was 
John Anderson. 

Under pretence that his wounded, leg still 
unfitted him for service in the field, Arnold 
begged that he might be appointed to the 
command of the garrison at West Point, and 
he was accordingly stationed there, early in 
August, 1780. The unprincipled man had 
24* 



282 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

now been fifteen montlis in correspondence 
with Sir Henry Clinton, with a view of be- 
traying his country. The plan agreed upon 
was, that he should furnish the enemy with 
drawings of the fortifications, and that when- 
ever they shonld make the attack, the fortress 
should be surrendered with but slight resist- 
ance. 

Washington had gone to Hartford, Connecti- 
cut, to meet Count Rochambeau, and had left 
General Greene in command during his ab- 
sence. Arnold thought this a favorable op- 
portunity for carrying his treacherous designs 
into efifect, and, on the 21st of September, 
Andre came up the river in the sloop-of-war 
Yulture, to see him. By appointment with 
the traitor, the British, officer landed on the 
west side of the river, where the former await- 
ed his coming. They met at night, in a lonely 
spot, and as morning came before they had 
finished their business, Arnold persuaded An- 
dre to go to a house near by, where he could 
remain concealed during the day. 

He did not let Andre know, however, that 
this place of refuge was within the American 
lines, where no British officer could be safe. 
The following morning, Andre, having crossed 



CAPTURE OF AIN^DRE. 283 

the river, set off alone, on horseback, for !N"ew 
York, and while on his way, supposing him- 
self to be secure under his assumed name of 
Joli'i Anderson, he was stopped by tliree 
young men of tlie militia, who searched him, 
and fcund papers in his boots, containing an 
exact account of the worivs at We-t Point, and 
other things of importance to the enemy. 

Discovering that he had fallen into the 
hands of the Americans, he offered his captors 
his gold watch and a large sum of money to 
release him. But, thank God, there was only 
one Benedict Arnold to sell his country, and 
the British spy was delivered up to Lieuten- 
ant-colonel Jameson, the nearest officer they 
could find. The names of the three young 
men who were proof against bribery, were 
John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac 
Yan Wart. 

Colonel Jameson appears to have been 
strangely bewildered, for, with a stupidity 
wdiich seems almost unaccountable, after send- 
ing off the papers which had been taken from 
Andre (and which he saw to be in Arnold's 
handwriting), to the commander-in-chief, he 
informed the traitor himself of all that had 
happened. 



284: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

"Washington was now on liis return from 
Hartfoi'd, and it was his intention to liave 
breakfasted at Arnold's lionse on tlie 24:th of 
September, but being dehiyed by business, he 
sent forward his aide with an apoh)gy to Mrs. 
Arnold. They sat down without him, and 
while at table, the letter of Colonel Jameson 
arrived. Arnold saw at a glance that all was 
lost, and apologizing to his guests, on the 
ground that he must hasten to West Point to 
receive the commander-in-chief, he hurried out 
of the room, followed by his wife, to whom he 
disclosed the fact that he must flee for his 
life. He galloped to the river, threw himself 
into his barge, and reached the British sloop 
Yulture in the course of the afternoon. 

It was not until dinner-time that "Washing- 
ton received the letter sent to him by express. 
His first exclamation on reading it was, 
"Whom can we trust now?" 

Finding that Arnold had escaj)ed, he took 
every precaution to guard West Point against 
a surprise, and in the rnidst of all his anxieties 
he did not forget to show what kindness he 
could to the unfortunate and distressed wife of 
the traitor. 



CHAPTER TWKNTT-SEYEXTH. 

Sensation in Kew York at the news of Andre's capture — The 
prisoner carried to Tappan — Court-martial — His manly con- 
fession — Feelings contending with judgment — Sentence of 
the court — ^Efforts to secure a pardon — An indirect proposal 
which might have done it — Hung as a spy — His remains 
removed to Westminster Abbey — " I know General Arnold, 
and abominate traitors" — Letter from Washington — Gen- 
eral Greene sent to the South — Enlistment of soldiers for the 
war — Securing a loan of money from France — A serious 
mutiny — Washington's circular-letter to the governors — 
Great forbearance exercised — The mutiny extends to the New 
Jersey troops — More decided measures taken, and with good 
results. 

THE capture of Andre created a great sen- 
sation at ISTew York. He was an especial 
favorite with Sir Henry Clinton, and his 
gentle and winning manners made him uni- 
versally popular with the army. 

There was, however, but one course for 
General Washington to pursue in regard to 
him. 

Andre could only be regarded as a spy, and 
he had certainly condescended to act a very 
mean part, in allowing himself to be the agent 
for bribing a brave man like Arnold to betray 



286 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

his country for money. The prisoner was 
conducted to Tappan village (which lies in 
the bosom of a fertile, rolling valley, not far 
from the head of the deep gorge which termi- 
nates on the Hudson at Piermont), and was 
confined in the stone mansion, now occupied 
as a tavern, and called the " '76 Stone House." 
His trial took place on the 29th of Septem- 
ber, in the old Dutch church, wdiich has since 
been torn down. The court consisted of 
fourteen general officers. General Greene be- 
ing president of the board. Andre made a 
frank confession of all the facts in the case, 
and was then sent back to prison until his 
sentence should be decided upon. His youth, 
candor, gentlemanly bearing, and charming 
conversation, made a most favorable impres- 
sion upon the court, and had those officers 
allowed themselves to be influenced by their 
feelings instead of their judgments, he would 
certainly have been pardoned. But after long 
and careful deliberation, the board reported, 
" That Major Andre, adjutant-general of the 
British army, ought to be considered as a spy 
from the enemy, and that agreeably to the 
law and usage of nations, it is their opinion he 
ought to suffer death." 



ANDRE EXECUTED. 287 

On the following day, Washington signified 
his approval of this decision. A very general 
sympathy was felt for Andre, on the part of 
the Americans, although none conld question 
the justice of the sentence which had been 
pronounced against him. Indeed, the com- 
mander-in-chief would have been most thank- 
ful, if any arrangement consistent wdth public 
duty could have been made to save his life. 
The only possible mode of accomplishing it was 
to exchange Andre for Arnold, and to hold 
the traitor responsible for the acts of his 
victim. Such an attempt was actually made 
— but not directly, of course, as it would 
hardly have been delicate to make a proposal 
of the kind to Sir Henry Clinton. 

This officer wrote two letters to Washington, 
urging a favorable view of Andre's case, and 
Arnold had the assurance to threaten him 
with dreadful retribution if the spy should be 
executed. When the commander-in-chief had 
made up his mind that a thing ought to be 
done, neither fear nor favor could turn him 
aside, and Major Andre was accordingly hung 
at twelve o'clock on the 2d of October, 1780. 
Southwest of Tappan is a lofty ridge, on which 
the American army lay encamped. Upon its 



288 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

gentle slope towards the road to old Tappan, 
is the place of execution. Andre's remains 
were buried near the spot, but in 1821 they 
were transferred to England, by the British 
consul then resident in 'New York, and were 
interred in Westminster Abbey, where a 
monument has been erected to his memory. 

Arnold received nearly fifty thousand dol- 
lars from the English government for his 
treachery, and a post in the army ; but every 
body despised him. Years after the war was 
over, when the traitor was residing in Eng- 
land, he went into the House of Commons one 
day to listen to the debates. A statesman, as 
he rose to address the chair, discovered him in 
the gallery, and said to the presiding officer, 
"I will not speak while that man is in the 
house." George the Third introduced Arnold 
to a nobleman who had been an officer under 
Burgoyne at Bemis Heights — " I know Gener- 
al Arnold, and abominate traitors," was his 
quick rej^ly, as he refused his hand and turned 
away. If such were the feelings of those who 
received a traitor, and paid him for his despic- 
able conduct with gold, it would be difficult 
to find language strong enough to express the 
opinion which every true-hearted American 



LETTER TO COLONEL LAUEENS. 289 

must clierisli concerning liim. The vilest 
culprit would shrink from bearing the obloquy 
of his crimes. 

Washington deeply regretted the fate of poor 
Andre, and while the windows of the town 
were filled with spectators watching the mourn- 
ful procession which accompanied him to his 
execution, the blinds of the house occupied by 
the commander-in-chief were closed, and there 
was no sign of life about it except the two sen- 
tinels at the door. The following letter, writ- 
ten soon afterwards, will show what he felt on 
the subject. It is addressed to his friend, Col- 
onel Laurens. 

" Head-quaeters, Passaio Falls, Oct. 13, 1780. 

"My -d^kr Laukens: In no instance since 
the commencement of the war, has the inter- 
position of Providence appeared more remark- 
ably conspicuous than in the rescue of the post 
and garrison of West Point from Arnold's vil- 
lanous perfidy. How far he meant to involve 
me in the catastrophe of this place, does not 
appear by any indubitable evidence ; and I am 
rather inclined to think he did not wish to 
hazard the more important object of his treach- 
ery by attempting to combine two events, the 
25 



290 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

less of wliicli might have marred the greater. 
A combination of extraordinary circumstances, 
an Tinacconntable deprivation of presence of 
mind in a man of the first abilities, and the 
virtue of three militia-men, threw the adjutant- 
general of the British forces, with full pro.of 
of Arnold's treachery, into our hands. But 
for the egregious folly or the bewildered con- 
ception of Lieutenant-colonel Jameson, who 
seemed lost in astonishment, and not to know 
what he was doing, I should undoubtedly have 
got Arnold. Andre has met his fate, and with 
that fortitude which was to be expected from 
an accomplished man and gallant ofiicer ; but 
I am mistaken if, at this time, ' Arnold is un- 
dergoing the torments of a mental hell.'* He 
wants feeling. From some traits of his char- 
acter, which have lately come to my knowl- 
edge, he seems to have been so hackneyed in 
villany, and so lost to all sense of honor and 
shame, that, while his faculties will enable him 
to continue his sordid pursuits, there will be 
no time for remorse." 

General Gates having failed in his campaign 



* Quoting the words of Mr. Laurens, in a letter to which this 
is a reply. 



LOAN FROM FRAKCE. 291 

at the South, Congress req^uested Washington 
to select another officer to take his place. 

By his advice. General Greene was appointed. 

The past year had not been a very encour- 
aging one, but towards the close of it Wash- 
ington was somewhat cheered by the adoption 
of measures which he had been so long urging 
upon Congress, viz., the enlistment of soldiers 
for the war, and that all officers who continued 
in service until the return of peace should re- 
ceive half pay during life. 

The American army went into winter-quar- 
ters near New York and West Point, while the 
French remained at Newport. Washington 
had been directing the attention of Congress 
to the indispensable necessity of securing a loan 
of money from abroad, that the war might be 
carried on with vigor and success, and in De- 
cember, 1780, they yielded this point also, and 
Colonel Laurens, one of the general's aids, was 
sent to Paris for the purpose. The money was 
obtained, but the French government request- 
ed that Washington should spend the portion 
intended for the army. 

The commander-in-chief had long been dread- 
ing lest the sufferings which the soldiers were 
compelled to endure should excite them to some 



292 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

desperate deed ; and an occurrence wliicli took 
place on E'ew Tear's night, 1781, showed that 
his anticipations were well founded. An ex- 
tract from a circular-letter, which he sent to the 
governors of several States, tells the story : 

"It is with extreme anxiety and pain of 
mind I find myself constrained to inform your 
excellency, that the events I have long appre- 
hended would be the consequence of the com- 
plicated distresses of the army, have at length 
taken place. 

" On the night of the 1st instant, a mutiny 
was excited by the non-commissioned officers 
and privates of the Pennsylvania line, which 
soon became so universal as to defy all opposi- 
tion. In attempting to quell this tumult in 
the first instance, some officers were killed, 
others wounded, and the lives of several com- 
mon soldiers lost. Deaf to the arguments, en- 
treaties, and utmost efforts of all their officers 
to stop them, they moved off from Morristown, 
the place of their cantonment, with their arms 
and six pieces of artillery ; and, from accounts 
just received by General Wayne's aide-de-camp, 
they were still in a body, on their march to Phil- 
adelphia to demand a redress of their griev- 
ances. At what point this defection will stop, 



MUTINY. 293 

or how extensive it may prove, God only 
knows. 

"At present, the troops at the important 
posts in this vicinity remain quiet, not being 
acquainted with this alarming and imhappy 
affair ; but how long they will remain so can- 
not be ascertained, as they labor under some 
of the" same pressing hardships as the troops 
who have revolted. 

"The aggravated calamities and distresses 
that have resulted from the total want of pay 
for nearly twelve months, the want of clothing 
at a severe season, and not unfrequently the 
want of provisions, are beyond description. 
The circumstances will now point out much 
more forcibly what ought to be done, than any 
thing that can possibly be said by me on the 
subject." 

"Washington took a very sensible view of the 
matter, and was in favor of exercising great 
forbearance towards those who had really so 
much c'ause for complaint. He advised Gen- 
eral Wayne to encourage them to state their 
grievances in a proper way, and promised him- 
self to do what he could to induce Congress 
and the authorities of Pennsylvania to redress 
their wrongs. These prudent counsels were 

25* 



294: LIFE OF WASHINaTON. 

well received, and a committee of Congress, 
accompanied by tlie president of Pennsylvania,"" 
met the revolters at Trenl!©n, and made propo- 
sals to them which were accepted, and they 
gave np their arms. 

Of conrse, the commander-in-chief was ex- 
tremely anxious during all this time, and would 
have hastened to Morristown himself, if it had 
been prudent for him to leave his own troops 
on the Hudson. 

The mutiny afterwards extended to the New 
Jersey troops. Washington thought it best to 
adopt a severer course towards them than the 
State of Pennsylvania had pursued, and when 
some of the ringleaders had been executed 
order was at once restored. 



•\ 



CHAPTER T\YEKTT-EIGHTH. 

Why Arnold did not receive a higher position in the British ar- 
my — The meaning of brevet — Lafayette sent to Virgmia— 
Difficulty between Washington and Hamilton — "You treat 
me with disrespect" — The younger of the two shows himself 
rather too unyielding — Friendship restored — General Greene 
in Carolina — Lord Cornwallis gets to Virginia — "That boy 
cannot escape me" — Washington's overseer too kind to the 
enemy — Slow work at recruiting — Preparations for a descent 
on New York— The plan reluctantly given up— The combined 
armies hasten to the South— Washington borrows money at 
Philadelphia — A humed visit to Mount Vernon — Lord Corn- 
wallis shut in at Yorktown— The siege begins—" We can't 
spare you yet !" — His lordship attempts to escape — Concludes 
to surrender — Graphic description by an eye-witness — 
" Ground arms"— Public thanksgiving— The captured colors 
and guns appropriately disposed of. 

BEE'EDICT AR:^0LD received a commis- 
sion as colonel in the British army, with the 
rank of brigadier,"^ — not as high a position, it 
will be observed, as he had held before. Prob- 
ably one reason of this was, that those who had 
paid him for turning traitor were afraid to trust 
him with a larger share of authority, lest he 

* The term brevet is used with reference to a commission 
giving nominal rank higher than that for which pay is received. 
A brevet-major serves and receives pay as a captain, and a brevet- 
brigadier as colonel. 



/' 



296 LIFE OF WASHINGTON". 

miglit be tempted to prove ungrateful to them. 
Nor is this a mere supposition ; for when Ar- 
nold marched through Yirginia, at the close of 
December, 1Y80, — in command of a plundering 
expedition, — two British colonels went with 
him, whom he was strictly charged to consult 
on all occasions, and without whom he was 
not allowed to act. 

In February, 1781, Washington sent a 
detachment, under Lafayette, to oppose the 
operations of the buccaneering traitor, hoping 
that he might be of some service in uniting 
the American land forces with the French 
fleet. 

About this time a coolness arose between 
the commander-in-chief and his aid. Colonel 
Alexander Hamilton, who had now been for 
four years a member of his military family, 
and whom he had always treated with marked 
attention and regard. One day, as Hamilton 
passed General Washington on the stairs, the 
latter remarked that he wished to speak with 
him. The young man replied that he would 
wait upon him immediately, and ran down to 
deliver an important letter to a fellow aide-de- 
camp. On his return to the general he was 
met by Lafayette, who stopped him, and 



ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 297 

they liad a short conversation on some matters 
of business. When Hamilton reached the top 
of the stairs, to his surprise he found Wash- 
ington waiting for him, for he supposed, of 
course, that he had gone to his room. The 
general accosted him with sharpness, and said, 
" Colonel Hamilton, you have kept me wait- 
ing at the head of the stairs these ten minutes. 
I must tell you, sir, you treat me with disre- 
spect." The aide-de-camp answered, " I am 
not conscious of it, sir ; but since you have 
thought it necessary to tell me so, we part." 
u Yerj well, sir," answered the general, " if it 
be your choice," or words to that effect. 
Hamilton was under the impression that his 
absence, which had occasioned this difficulty, 
did not last two minutes. 

In less than an hour, Washington, who 
never allowed the sun to go down upon his 
wrath, sent another of his aides to Hamilton 
wdth a kind message, assuring him of his 
confidence and regard, aud expressing a wish 
to see him, that they might talk the matter 
over, and be good friends again. Hamilton, 
being the younger man (he was then but 
twenty-four), ought certainly to have yielded 
to the friendly overture of one so much old- 



298 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

er than himself, but he was rather haughty 
and impatient, and saw fit to decline the 
interview. Perhaps Washington was wrong 
in saying that he had waited ten minutes ; but 
time seemed long to him as he stood in wait- 
ing at the head of the stairs, and he certainly 
had reason to feel that proper respect had not 
been shown to him. 

Although Hamilton refused to serve any more 
as an aide-de-camp, he continued with the army, 
and made himself useful. Tlie truth is (for the 
young officer acknowledged as much in a letter 
to General Schuyler, attempting to vindicate 
himself from blame), that he had long been 
ambitious of an independent position, and of 
some opportunity to add glory to his name. 
It is pleasant to know, that in spite of the 
temporary coolness between the commander- 
in-chief and his late favorite aide-de-camp, 
their former terms of friendship were renewed, 
and only two days before Washington's death 
he wrote to Hamilton, expressing for him the 
highest regard and esteem.* Meanwhile, 
General Greene, in the Carolinas, was living 



* This letter will be found in Sparks' edition of Washington's 
correspondence, vol. xi., p. 469. 



LORD COENWi\XLIS. 299 

over again the life of anxiety and toil which 
fell to the commander-in-chief at the l^orth. 

He had taken Washington for his model, 
and certainly no officer of the Revolution came 
nearer to this high standard. 

Lord Cornwallis, who had been waging war 
against the Carolinians, had been anxious, for 
some time, to join Generals Phillips and 
Arnold in Yirginia, but General Greene and 
the heroic Marion succeeded in delaying and 
harassing him so much, that he was unable to 
do so before the 20th of May. Lord Corn- 
wallis spoke rather disdainfully of Lafayette 
(who, it will be remembered, had command of 
a detachment which had been sent to Virginia 
some months before), saying, "That boy 
cannot escape me." The marquis showed, 
however, that he was worthy of the trust 
which Washington had given him, avoiding 
dangerous experiments, and contenting himself 
with maintaining his ground. 

While Arnold was busy in burning peaceful 
towns, and committing other dishonorable acts 
in Yirginia, a British man-of-war sailed up the 
Potomac, and casting anchor near Mount Yer- 
non, demanded of the overseer provisions and 
forage, as the price of sparing Washington's 



300 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

house and ])roperty. The poor man was taken 
hj surprise, and in a moment of weakness he 
agreed to the humiliating terms. As soon as 
the commander-in-chief heard of the occur- 
rence, he thus wrote to his agent: '*! am very 
sorry to hear of your loss — I am a little sorry to 
hear of my own ; but that which gives me most 
concern is, that you should go on board the ene- 
my's vessels and furnish them with refreshments. 
It would have been a less painful circumstance 
to me to have heard that, in consequence of your 
non-compliance with their request, they had 
burnt my house, and laid the plantation in ruins. 
" You onght to have considered yourself as 
my representative, and should have reflected 
on the bad example of communicating with 
the enemy, and making a voluntary ofi'er of 
refreshments to them, with a view to prevent 
a conflagration. It was not in your power, I 
acknowledge, to prevent them from sending a 
flag on shore, and you did right to meet it ; 
but yon should, in the same instant the bnsi- 
ness of it was unfolded, have declared explicit- 
ly, that it was improper for you to yield to the 
request ; after which, if they had proceeded to 
help themselves by force, you could but have 
submitted, and being unprovided with defence, 



APOLOGY FOE HIS STEWARD. -jOI 

tliis was to be preferred to a feeble opposition, 
which only serves as a pretext to bum. and 
destroy." 

Speaking of the circumstances to Lafayette, 
who had been shocked at its inconsistency, 
and written him a letter on the subject, Wash- 
ington suggests some excuses for his agent, 
who was also his fi-iend. 

" A false idea, arising from the consideration 
of his being my steward, and in that character 
more the trustee and guardian of my proper- 
ty than the repr^entative of my honor, has 
misled his judgment and plunged him in error 
upon the appearance of deseiiion among my 
negroes and danger to my buildings ; for sure 
I am that no man is more firmly opposed to 
the enemy than he is. From a thorough 
conyiction of this, and of his integrity, I 
intrusted every species of my property to his 
care, without reservation or fear of his abusing 
it. The last paragraph of my letter to him 
was occasioned by an expression of his fears, 
that all the estates convenient to the river 
would be stripped of their negroes and move- 
able property." 

During the spring of ITSl, TTashington was 
obliged, most reluctantly, to remain in his 



302 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

quarters at JS'ew "Windsor. Congress had 
indeed voted him a large supply of troops for 
the new campaign, but it proved to be a slow 
and tedious process to collect them, and money 
and clothes were scarce. The commander-in- 
chief was the more mortified, because he did 
not wish the French to witness the miserable 
plight of the American army. 

In July, great preparations were made for 
a descent upon iJs'ew York, by the combined 
armies of France and the United States 
Count de Grasse was then in the "West Indies, 
with a large fleet, and more than three thou- 
sand soldiers, and "Washington had sent him 
word to sail, if possible, for Sandy Hook, and 
attack the British by sea, which would have 
enabled the land forces to accomplish their 
plan of recovering New York. Before this 
message reached the French admiral, a letter 
was received from him, saying that he was 
about to sail for the Chesapeake. "Washing- 
ton now changed his plans, but he kept his 
own secret, lest Sir Henry Clinton should find 
it out and send assistance to Lord Cornwallis. 
The French and Americans set out for Vir- 
ginia, leaving only men enough behind to 
guard the passes of the Hudson. 



Tisrr TO MorxT veenox. 303 

When tlTe combined army readied Pliila- 
delphia, Wasliington wished to put his grum- 
bling soldiers in good humor, and he according- 
ly called on his old friend Robert Morris, and 
got liim to raise a sum sufficient to give them 
a month's pay in hard money, which the 
patriotic financier did, by borrowing it on his 
own personal credit. 

Lafayette wrote to express his delight at the 
j^rospect of seeing the commander-in-chief at 
the head of the allies, and the dismal gloom 
which had so long overspread the prospects of 
the good cause began to be dispelled. Wash- 
ington left Philadelphia on the 5th of Septem- 
ber, and pushing on in advance of the army, 
he was enabled to spend a short time at 
Mount Yernon, where he had not been before 
in six years. His happiness was increased by 
being permitted to extend the hospitalities of 
his house to some of the French officers who 
accomjDanied him. 

On his arrival at Yorktown, Yii'ginia, he 
found Lord Cornwallis so shut in by the French 
and American troops on land, and by the fleet 
on the sea-side, that reti-eat was impossible. 
The British general was glad to retire within 
his fortifications, which were about the to^vn 



304 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

of York, and Gloucester Point, on the opposite 
side of the river. 

Two weeks were spent by the combined ar- 
mies in collecting the artillery and whatever 
else was necessary for a siege, and on the 9th 
of October, the firing began. The command- 
er-in-chief pnt the match to the first gun, and 
then there was little cessation of the cannon- 
ading either by day or night. 

It should have been mentioned before, that 
Governor ITelson of Yirginia, who had raised 
troops, and supplied money at his own risk, 
having been asked what part of Torktown the 
firing should begin upon, pointed to a large, 
handsome house, where he thought the English 
general would be likely to have his head-quar- 
ters. It was his own house. 

On the 14:th of October, attacks were made 
on two redoubts by a party of French on one 
side, and of Americans, commanded by Lafa- 
yette, on the other. They rushed on with such 
impetuosity to the assault, that the enemy 
yielded before them, almost without a struggle. 

While Washington stood watching the pro- 
ceedings with intense interest,- one of his aids 
ventured to say to him that the position which 
he occupied was very much exjposed, to which 



COKNWALLIS SUREENDEES. 305 

he gravely replied, " K you tliink so, you are 
at liberty to step back." Soon after this, a 
musket-ball struck a cannon near the group of 
officers, and fell at "Washington's feet. Gener- 
al Knox grasped his arm, and exclaimed, " My 
dear general, we can't sj)are you yet." " It is 
a spent ball," replied the commander-in-chief, 
quietly, " no harm is done." 

When the redoubts were taken, he drew a 
long breath, and said to Knox, " The work is 
done, and icell done .'" 

The siege went on until the 16th of October, 
when Lord Cornwallis found himself in so hope- 
less a condition that he made an attempt to es- 
cape. Failing in this, the next day he proposed 
to surrender, and on the 19th the royal army 
laid down their arms. An eye-witness thus 
describes the scene : 

" At about twelve o'clock the combined ar- 
my was drawn up in two lines, more than a 
mile in length, the Americans on the right side 
of the road, the French on the left. "Washing- 
ton, mounted on a noble steed, and attended 
by his staff, was in front of the former; the 
Count de Rochambeau, and his suite, of the 
latter. 

The French troops, in complete uniform and 

26- 



306 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

well eqm]3ped, made a brilliant appearance, 
and had marclied to the ground with a band 
of music playing, which was a novelty in the 
American service. The American troops, bnt 
part in nniform, and all in garments much the 
worse for wear, yet had a sj)irited, soldier-like 
air, and were not the worse in the eyes of their 
countrymen for bearing the marks of hard ser- 
vice and great privations. The concourse of 
spectators from the country around seemed 
equal in number to the military ; yet silence 
and order prevailed. 

About two o'clock the garrison sallied forth, 
and passed through with shouldered arms, slow 
and solemn step, colors cased, and drums beat- 
ing a British march. They were all well clad, 
having been furnished with new suits prior to 
the capitulation. 

They were led by General O'Hara on horse- 
back, who, riding up to General Washington, 
took off his hat and apologized for the non-ap- 
pearance of Lord Cornwallis, on account of in- 
disposition. Washington received him with 
dignified courtesy, but pointed to Major-gen- 
eral Lincoln as the officer who was to receive 
the submission of the garrison. By him they 
were conducted into a field where they were to 



tha:nksgiying after victory. 307 

ground their arms. In passing throngli the 
line formed by the allied army, their march 
was careless and irregular, and their aspect sul- 
len ; the order to " ground arms" was given by 
their platoon-officers witli a tone of deep cha- 
grin, and many of the soldiers threw down 
their muskets with a violence sufficient to break 
the* 1. Tliis irregularity was checked by Gen- 
eral Lincoln ; yet it was excusable in brave 
men in their unfortunate predicament. This 
ceremony over, they were conducted back to 
Yorktown, to remain under guard until re- 
moved to their places of destination.""^ 

"We may be sure that Washington did not 
forget to give thanks to the God of battles for 
the glorious victory which filled the whole land 
with rejoicings. Besides congratulating the of- 
ficers and soldiers, the event was distinguished 
by the pardon of all those of his army who 
were under arrest, and it was added in the gen- 
eral orders: "Divine service is to be performed 
to-morrow in the several brigades and divisions. 
The commander-in-chief earnestly recommends 
that the troops not on duty should universally 
attend, with that seriousness of deportment and 

* Thatcher, page 346. 



308 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

gratitude of heart which the recogDition of 
such reiterated and astonishing interpositions 
of Providence demands of us." 

Congress appointed a day of thanksgiving 
for the victory at Yorktown, and voted thanks 
to all the generals, and many other officers who 
had distinguished themselves. The colors taken 
from the enemy were presented to Washington, 
and two guns to Counts Rochambeau and De 
Grasse. 



CHAPTEE twe]s:ty-it]:n"th. 

"Waslaington forms a plan, whicli he was reluctantly forced to 
abandon — Death of his stepson — Lafayette returns home — 
Trying to prevent Congress from becoming too inactive — Pro- 
posals for making a king — His indignant reply — Discontent 
among the soldiers — A great deal of mischief prevented — 
Treaty of peace signed — The soldiers returnmg to their homes 
— The "Society of Cincinnati" — "Washington's address to the 
governors of the States — Visit to some memorable spots — The 
army disbanded — Washington and his troops enter New York 
— His ofiicers take their leave of him — Settling accounts for 
the war — A triumphal journey towards the South — Arrival at 
Annapolis — Eesigns his commission to Congress — Eetires to 
Mount Vernon — Happy Christmas eve. 

A:NIMATED by the recent triiimpli, Wash- 
ington greatly desired to go on to South 
Carolina, and with the assistance of the French 
fleet, to recapture Charleston from the enemy. 
He went on board the admiral's ship to pay 
his compliments, and to present, as a personal 
gift from himself, a pair of fine horses, — taking 
advantage of this opportunity to urge the adop- 
tion of the plan just mentioned. Count de 
Grasse replied, that he had other engagements 
which would render it impossible for him to 
remain long enough for the purpose, and Wash- 



810 T.TKK OF ^VASlllNirrON. 

ington was obliged to contont liiiusoU' by send- 
ing two tliousand troops to help General Greene 
in his nneqnal contest against a powerinl i\x\ 

Seareely had the eapitnhUion at Yorktown 
been signed, when Washington was smnnioned 
hv ex}nvss to the dying hod of his stepson, 
Jolni Parko Cnstis, who was at Eltliani, the 
country-seat of Colonel Basset. The event was 
unexpected, — the yonng man (then twenty- 
eight) having been seized with a fever when 
absent from home. The dying scene was ren- 
dered peculiarly aiVecting from the presence 
of his mother and wife, and the commander-in- 
chief arrived in time to unite with tliem in the 
last sad oillces of allection. As a consolation 
to ^[rs. AVashington, he adopted the two young- 
est children of the deceased, a boy and girl, 
and it need hardly be added that he became a 
father to tliem. 

Latayetto returned to France in the au- 
tumn of ITSl, where Congress hoped that his 
inlluence might still be useful to the cause of 
America. 

The connnander-in-chief feared lest the late 
success would lead Congress to suppose that 
the work was nearly tinished, and tlius cause 
tlioni to fall into a state of lan^-uor and inac- 



MONAECIIY PR<')POSED. 311 

tivity. lie accordingly proceeded to Philadel- 
pliia, where he used every effort to induce them 
to make vigorous preparations for another cam- 
paign. In May, 1782, Sir Guy Carlton ar- 
rived in New York to succeed Sir Henry Clin- 
ton, who had asked to be recalled, — having 
grown very weary of the war. 

The same month a well-written paper was 
handed to Washington, in which, after dwell- 
ing upon the wrongs of the army, and the in- 
efficient measures of Congress, it was seriously 
argued tliat a republican form of government 
would never answer for the American colonies, 
and that a constitutional monarchy, like that 
of England, would most probably be finally 
adopted. This remarkable communication 
went on to state that Washington himself 
would grace the throne, and then it gravely 
proposed to him that he should accejjt the title 
of King. 

Colonel Lewis Nicols, a veteran officer, who 
had been on terms of intimacy with the com- 
mander-in-chief, was the author of the letter, 
although it is supposed that he was merely 
expressing the opinion of others who had made 
him their organ of communication. A man 
of meaner ambition might have been tempted 



312 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

by sucli a proposal ; but it drew from Wasli- 
ington tlie following indignant letter : 

" Newbijkg, '2.U May, 1782. 

" SiE : — "With a mixture of great surprise and 
astonisliment, I have read with attention tbe 
sentiments you have submitted to my perusal. 

" Be assured, sir, no occurrence in the course 
of the war has given me more painful sensa- 
tions than your information of there being 
such ideas existing in the army as you have 
expressed, and I must view with abhorrence 
and reprehend with severity. Eor the present, 
the communication of them will rest in my 
own bosom, unless some further agitation of 
the matter shall make a disclosure necessary. 

" I am much at a loss to conceive what part 
of my conduct could have given encourage- 
ment to an address, which, to me, seems big 
with the greatest mischiefs that can befall my 
country. 

" If I am not deceived in the knowledge of 
myself, you could not have found a person to 
whom your schemes are more disagreeable. 
At the same time, in justice to my own feel- 
ings, I must add, that no man possesses a more 
Bincere wish to see ample justice done to the 



AEMY UNPAID. 313 

army than I do ; and, as far as my powers and 
influence in a constitutional way extend, they 
shall be employed to the utmost of my abili- 
ties to effect it, should there be any occasion. 

" Let me conjure you, then, if you have any 
regard for your country, concern for yourself 
or posterity, or respect for me, to banish these 
thoughts from your mind, and never commu- 
nicate, as from yourself or any one else, a 
sentiment of the like nature. 

" I am, sir, your most obedient servant." 

During the summer of 1782, much discon- 
tent prevailed in the army, as neither officers 
nor men had received pay for a long while, 
and they began to fear that now, since danger 
seemed less threatening, their country might 
forget their claims altogether. Washington 
continued, as before, to urge Congress to be 
just towards those who had suffered so much 
and served so faithfully. 

In August, Sir Guy Carlton informed the 
American general that he had received tidings 
of a treaty of peace being begun at Paris, but 
the latter was imwilling to relax his vigilance 
in the least, until such an arrangement had 
been fully completed. 

27 



314 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Count Rochambean with liis troops establish- 
ed himself near the American head-quarters 
at ISTewburg, on the Hudson, and a very friend- 
ly spirit was kept up between the soldiers of 
the two allied nations. As there was no mili- 
tary business to be transacted during the 
winter 1782-83, which would require the pres- 
ence of General Washington, he would gladly 
have spent the time at Mount Yernon, but he 
thought it hardly prudent to leave the men 
to talk over their troubles and to contrive 
plans for the redress of their wrongs. It was 
well that he concluded to remain, for the idle- 
ness of the winter gave full oj^portunity for 
the concerting of disorganizing measures, and 
early in the spring an anonymous paper sum- 
moned the officers to a meeting which fore- 
boded evil. When Washington heard of this, 
he promptly called another meeting, and for 
an earlier day. Before that time arrived he 
sent for many of the officers, and conversed 
with them one by one, in his own room, and 
it was observed that some of them left him 
with traces of tears on their cheeks. 

On the 15th of March, the meeting which 
Washington had appointed took place, Gen- 
eral Gates being called to the chair. The 



AFFECTING ADDRESS. 315 

commander -in-cliief then arose, mncli agitated, 
and holding an address in his hand which he 
had carefully prepared. Looking round upon 
those who had stood with him shoulder to shoul- 
der in the long and painful struggle for liberty, 
his voice faltered, and his eyes were bedimmed 
with tears. As soon as he recovered his self- 
possession, he took his spectacles from his pock- 
et, remarking, in his quiet way : " I have grown 
gray in your service, and now I am growing 
blind ; but I never doubted the justice of my 
country, or its gratitude." l^o stroke of ora- 
tory could have moved so many hearts, as did 
this unaffected language of Washington. 

His address, noble, fatherly, wise, produced 
the impression which he desired, and he 
wrote to Congi'ess, at the request of those 
present, giving a full account of the j)i'oceed- 
ings. And thus the weight of one man's in- 
fluence prevented a quarrel between Congress 
and the army, which would have been lament- 
able indeed. 

Soon after the settlement of these unpleas- 
ant difficulties at ISTewbm^g, tidings came that 
a treaty of peace had been signed at Paris, on 
the 20th of January. The British began to 
return home as fast as vessels could be pro- 



316 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

vided to carry them ; and many wlio had 
been Tories during the war, left for !N"ova 
Scotia. 

Congress had no money to pay the soldiers, 
but General "Washington gave leave to many 
of them to return to their homes. The officers 
had become much attached to each other dur- 
ing the eight years' war, and before they were 
scattered over the thirteen States, it was pro- 
posed by General Knox that they should form 
a society among themselves, to meet for friend- 
ly pur^^oses, and to help the poor among their 
number. This was agreed to, and they select- 
ed a badge, adopted the name of the " Society 
of Cincinnati," and chose Washington for their 
first President. The society is still in exist- 
ence.* 

Before the disbanding of the army, the com- 
mander-in-chief addressed a letter to the gov- 
ernors, of the several States, in which, after 
dwelling on the goodness of God, in bringing 
the war to a happy close, he set forth tlie in- 
estimable privileges which the people of the 
United States might hope to enjoy under the 

* For an interesting account of the organization of tliis society, 
and various particulars concerning it, see Lossing's Field-Book 
of the Kevolution, vol. ii,, p. 125. 



AEMY DISBAIfDED. 317 

free institutions Trliich tliey were now prepared 
to establish. TVTiat an example of pure and 
devout patriotism ! He had risked every 
thing in the cause of his country, and he de- 
sii'ed no other reward than the satisfaction of 
knowing that the people were united and 
happy. 

In the course of the summer of 17S3, "Wash- 
ington paid a visit to various places in the 
State of ^ew York which had been the scenes 
of important events during the war, and in 
this journey he spoke of the importance of 
connecting the waters of the Hudson with the 
great lakes of the "West — a work which has 
since been accomplished by the Erie canal. 

The army was discharged in l^ovember, 
when he expressed his warmest thanks to the 
officers and men, and invoked the best bless- 
ings of Heaven upon them. 

On the 2oth of the month. General \yash- 
ington entered the city of ^New York with the 
body of troops which Congress had resolved to 
continue in the service, and soon afterwards he 
was ready to set off for Annapolis, to resign his 
commission to those from whom he had receiv- 
ed it. The principal officers of the army met at 
a tavern near "Whitehall ferry to bid him fare- 



318 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

well, and the scene was most imjDressive and 
tonching. 

Washington filled his glass, and looking 
around npon his old friends, he said, " With a 
heart full of love and gratitude, I now take 
leave of yon, most devoutly wishing that yonr 
latter days may be as prosperous and happy 
as your furmer ones have been glorious and 
honorable." Having drunk this affectionate 
benediction, he added, with emotion, "I can- 
not come to each of you to take my leave, but 
shall be obliged if each of you will come and 
take me by the hand." 

General Knox, who stood nearest, advanced 
first, and Washington, with streaming eyes, 
grasped his hand and gave him a brother's 
embrace. The rest came up, one by one, and 
in solemn silence all took their leave. Their 
beloved commander then left the room and 
proceeded to the ferry, where his barge was in 
waiting, and as the sorrowing group of friends 
stood upon the shore watching his departure, 
he took off his hat and waved to them a last 
farewell. 

Washington stopped a few days at Philadel- 
j)hia to settle his accolmts, from the beginning 
of the war to its close, and it was found that 



HOMEWAED IN TKIUMPH. 319 

he had made a careful note of every item with 
his own hand — the whole amount which he 
had expended being fourteen thousand five 
hundred pounds sterling. 

He received not a cent in payment of his 
own services, but instead of this he had often 
made advances from his own private funds for 
public purposes. 

Washington's journey southward was one 
continued scene of honors and rejoicings ; 
processions, triumphal arches, cannons, music, 
songs, flowers, addresses, greeted him every- 
where. 

At Annapolis, he resigned his connnission 
to the president of Congress, and made a short 
and dignified address. This scene also drew 
tears from many eyes. 

The next day he hastened to Mount Yernon, 
where he arrived on Christmas eve — full of 
gratitude to God, and with the kindest feelings 
towards all the world. 



CHAPTER THIRTIETH. 

A quiet life appears strange enongli — Wealth impaired some- 
what— Transplanting trees— House full of company— Liberal 
allowance of visiting — Guests made to feel themselves at 
home — How "Washington spent his time — Morning ride- 
Dressing for dinner— His only toast— Honoring the Lord's 
day — Moments of abstraction — Lafayette's last visit — A 
touching incident in the note — Testimony of his private secre- 
tary — Elkanah "Watson's interesting reminiscences — Home 
pictures— No disposition to fight his battles over again, by 
speaking of them in conversation — A bowl of hot tea for a 
cold — Taking a model of his face for a bust — Fondness for 
cheerful society — General Putnam and the female prisoner — 
Awkward plight of the two judges — Washington enjoys a 
hearty laugh. 

IT must have appeared strange enough to 
General Washington, after so many years 
of camp-hfe, to be sleeping quietly beneath his 
own roof, undisturbed at the early dawn by 
the beat of drums, and his anxieties no longer 
called forth by the wants of a half-starved 
army. For some time after his return home, 
he was kept closely confined to the house by 
the snow and ice of a severe winter ; but it 
afforded him a good opportunity to look into 
his private affairs, which he had been obliged 



ON HIS PLANTATION. 321 

BO long to intrust to other hands. He was by 
no means as rich as he had been before the 
war, because the country was in such an 
unsettled state, and his plantations had not 
yielded as much in his absence as when he 
was able to give them his careful oversight. 
With the opening spring, his oat-door labors 
were resumed. Washington took great satis- 
faction in beautifying his estate, and it was 
one of his favorite employments to go through 
the woods, selecting and marking young trees 
to be transplanted to the walks about his 
house. He makes a note in his journal, that 
when employed in this pleasant occupation a 
load of company drove up, and he was obliged 
to cover the young trees with earth to keep 
them from drying up, while he went to the 
house to entertain his guests. 

His habits were just as regular and method- 
ical as they used to be. In times of old-fash- 
ioned hospitality, a visit of a week or two Was 
thought nothing out of the way, and those 
who came to Mount Yemon were made to 
feel themselves perfectly at home. At break- 
fast, Washington would tell his guests that he 
hoped they would take good care of them- 
selves, and that there were horses in the stable 



322 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

for those who wished to ride, and books of all 
kinds in the library, for such as preferred to 
remain within doors. He then mounted his 
horse, and went forth on his morning circuit 
around the estate of ten or twelve miles, 
returning about a quarter before three, when 
he dressed for dinner. Precisely at three, all 
sat down to the abundant repast. The general 
ate heartily, although he was not an epicure. 
Sometimes, indeed, he would dine on baked 
apples, or berries with cream or milk, so plain 
and simple were his tastes. He was fond of 
cheerful conversation during dinner, and it 
was a settled rule with him never to introduce 
any unpleasant topic at the table. After the 
cloth was removed, he drank a glass of wine, 
and gave his only toast, " All our friends." 

In the afternoon, Washington retired to his 
library, where he was occupied with business 
and reading until evening, when he again 
joined the family circle, taking his cup of tea 
with the rest. If there was no company 
present, he read aloud to his industrious 
spouse, who sat quietly in a corner of the sofa, 
knitting. 

Every Sunday morning the family went to 
churcli, and in the evening, the general read a 



ESTEEM FOE LAFAYETTE. 323 

sermon, or something else appropriate to the 
^dav, for the benefit of the household. 

Sometimes, when sitting silent in the midst 
of his friends, he ^Yould seem to be lost iu 
thought, and, as if unconscious of all about 
him, he would raise his hand to his head and 
move his lips, as if debating or giving orders. 

In August, Washington had the satisfaction 
of receivinor Lafavette as a o-uest at his own 
house. When the pleasant visit was ended, 
the general accompanied his friend to Annap- 
olis, in order to defer the parting scene as long 
as possible ; and on returning to Mount Yer- 
non, he thus touchingly refers to the ]3ainful 
subject: ''In the moment of our separation, 
upon the road as I travelled, and every hour 
since, I have felt all that love, respect, and at- 
tachment for you, with which length of years, 
close connection, and your merits have inspired 
me. I often asked myself, as our carriages sep- 
arated, whether that was the last sight I ever 
should have of you ; and, though I wished to 
answer ' Xo,' my fears answered ' Yes.' "' 

The two friends never met again upon earth. "^ 

* In August, lS2i, Laft\yette landed in the United States, and 
■was everywhere welcomed as the Nation's guest. He passed 
through tweatj-fonr States of the Union, in a sort of triumphal 



324: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Washington corresponded with many of the 
officers, both American and French, who had 
been with him during the war, and their 
epistles gave him great satisfaction. He was 
obliged, however, to reply to so many letters 
of business and compliment, that at last he 
employed Mr. Lear to act as his private secre- 
tary. This gentleman remarked, after living 
with him two years : " I have never found a 
single thing that could lessen my respect for 
General Washington. A complete knowledge 
of his honesty, uprightness, and candor, in all 
his private transactions, has sometimes led me 
to think him more than a man." 

Mr. Elkanah Watson, who visited Mount 
Yernon in 1785, with a letter of introduction 
from General Greene, gives a home-picture of 
Washington in his retirement* "I trembled 

procession, but no spot in America was visited by him witli 
half the interest which lie felt for the grave of Washington. 

" We were obliged to tote him all about," said one of the old 
family servants, when describing this interesting circumstance 
to a traveller who had stopped at Mount Vernon ; " by which I 
understood," remarks the latter, " that the general was so over- 
come, that he was literally supported by the arms of attendants. 
I inquired how he appeared at the tomb. ' He cried like a little 
infimt.' ' Did he go in V I asked. ' Oh yes, he went in, sir, 
alone, and he made a mighty long talk there, but I don't know 
what it was about.' " 



DOMESTIC LITE. 325 

with awe, as I came into the presence of this 
great man. I found him at table with Mrs. 
Washington and his private family, and was 
received in the native dignity and with that 
urbanity so peculiarly combined in the charac- 
ter of a soldier and an eminent private gentle- 
man. He soon put me at my ease, by unbend- 
ing in a free and affable conversation. The 
cautions reserve which wisdom and policy dic- 
tated, while engaged in rearing the glorious 
fabric of our independence, was evidently the 
result of consummate prudence, and not char- 
acteristic of his nature. I observed a peculi- 
arity in his smile, which seemed to illuminate 
his eye ; his whole countenance beamed with 
intelligence, while it commanded confidence 
and respect. 

" I found him kind and benignant in the do- 
mestic circle; revered and beloved by all 
around him ; agreeably social, without osten- 
tation ; delighting in anecdote and adventures, 
without assumption; his domestic arrange- 
ments harmonious and systematic. His ser- 
vants seemed to watch his eye, and to antici- 
pate his every wish ; hence a look was equiva- 
lent to a command. His servant Billy, the 
faithful companion of his military career, was 
28 



326 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

always at liis side. Smiling content animated 
and beamed on every countenance in liis pres- 
ence." 

In the evening, Mr. Watson sat conversing 
for a full hour with Washington, after all the 
family had retired, expecting, perhaps, to hear 
him fight over some of his battles ; but, if so, 
he was disappointed, for he observes : 

"He modestly waived all allusions to the 
events in which he had acted so glorious and 
conspicuous a ]3art. Much of his conversation 
had reference to the interior country, and to 
the opening of the navigation of the Potomac, 
by canals and locks, at the Seneca, the Great 
and Little Falls. His mind appeared to be 
deeply absorbed by that object, then in earnest 
contemplation." 

Mr. Watson had taken a severe cold in the 
course of a harsh winter journey, and coughed 
excessively. Washington pressed him to take 
some remedies, but he declined. After retiring 
for the night, his coughing increased. " When 
some time had elapsed," writes he, " the door 
of my room was gently opened, and, on draw- 
ing my bed-curtains, I beheld Washington him- 
self standing at my bedside, with a bowl of hot 
tea in his hand. I was mortified and distressed 



MODEL IN PLASTER. 327 

beyond expression. This little incident, occur- 
ring in common life with an ordinary man, 
would not have been noticed ; but as a trait of 
the benevolence and private virtue of Wash- 
ington, deserves to be recorded." 

One more incident related by Mr. "Watson 
must close our extracts from his interesting 
reminiscences. Washington was entertaining 
his visitor with an account of the taking of a 
model of his head, in plaster, for a bust. 
" Wright came to Mount Yernon," the general 
remarked, " with that singular request that I 
should permit him to take a model of my face 
in plaster of Paris, to which I consented, with 
some reluctance. He oiled my face over, and 
placing me flat upon my back upon a cot, pro- 
ceeded to daub my face with the plaster. 
While in this ludicrous attitude, Mrs. Wash- 
ington entered the room, and seeing my face 
thus overspread with the plaster, involuntarily 
exclaimed. Her cry excited in me a disposi- 
tion to smile, which gave my mouth a slight 
twist, or compression of the lips, that is now 
observable in the busts which Wright after- 
wards made."* 

* Men and Times of the Eevolution, page 139. 



328 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Witli all his natural gravity and tliouglitful- 
ness, Washington was fond of cheerful society, 
and was occasionally surprised into a hearty 
fit of laughter. One instance of this kind oc- 
curred during the war, when old General Put- 
nam rode into the camp with a female prisoner 
behind him on the horse. There is a story told 
of two judges coming to visit him at Mount 
Vernon, who, being very dusty, from a long 
trip on horseback, stopped in a wood on the 
outskirts of the estate to make their toilet be- 
fore presenting themselves at the mansion. 
They had taken off their travelling dresses, and 
a servant had unlocked their large portman- 
teau, when cakes of "Windsor soap, and all sorts 
of things which pedlers sell, were scattered 
about, but their clothes were not there. Their 
trunks had been exchanged, by mistake, for 
that of a Scotch pedler, at their last halting- 
place. The judges, although their plight was 
a sorry one, could not help laughing, while the 
servant, whose carelessness had caused the 
blunder, looked on in dismay. Washington, 
hearing the noise, came up, and was so over- 
come by the ridiculous appearance of the group, 
that he rolled on the grass, almost convulsed 
with laughter. 



CHAPTEE THIETY-FIEST. 

Unpromising condition of the government — Fears which true 
patriots entertained — A convention to form a constitution — 
Washington prepares himself to discharge his duties as a del- 
egate—Gratifying result of four months' labor — The constitu- 
tion adopted, and a president chosen — Washington's unwill- 
ingness to return to public life — His wishes overruled — Tri- 
umphal journey to New York — The ceremony of inauguration 
— "Long live George Washington !" — Solemn services in St. 
Paul's church — Modest estimate of his own capacity for the 
presidency — Overrun with company — Hours and forms of re- 
ception established — The president's house — Style of living 
— Levees and dinners — Severe illness — " I am in the hands 
of a good Providence" — Visit to the Eastern States — Observ- 
ance of Sunday— The " speaker's bell"— Dr. Grif&th, bishop 
elect of Virginia — Washington's mother departs this life — 
Her last blessing — A beautiful letter — An example for Amer- 
ican youth — The Divine promise made good. 

ALTHOUGH Mount Yernon was a retired 
spot, it was not far enough out of the world 
to prevent Washington from hearing and being 
distressed by many things which were going 
on in it. The government of the United States 
was a feeble one, — oppressed by debt, — and 
trade did not revive at the close of the war, as 
it had been hoped that it wonld. The several 
States were jealous of each other, and in Mas- 
sachusetts a rebellion had broken out in the 

28^' 



330 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

autumn of 1786. A spirit of dissension was 
spreading more and more, and many wlio had 
fouglit and bled to secure tlie liberty of tlieir 
country, were afraid tliat it would become use- 
less, tbrougli the folly and selfishness of those 
who wished to grasp it, forgetful of the solemn 
conditions on which alone it can be enjoyed. 

It was finally concluded that delegates from 
the different States should meet in Philadel- 
phia, in the spring of 1787, to endeavor to cor- 
rect some of the defects in the system of gov- 
ernment ; and although much against his wish- 
es, "Washington was sent from Virginia. Be- 
ins: determined to understand the business in 
which he was about to engage, he carefully 
studied the constitutions of former confedera- 
cies, and a paper in his own handwriting, con- 
taining the results of his examinations, bears 
witness to his industry and research. 

Washington was chosen president of the 
convention, and after four months of great la- 
bor, the delegates agreed upon the form of gov- 
ernment nnder which we are living now, — 
''The Constitution of the United States." 
Some slight changes have since been made, 
but it remains essentially the same as when it 
was first adopted. This instrument, however 



XOMIXATED PEESIDENT. 331 

excellent, could be of no force nntil tlie States 
had consented to receive it, and it could not 
Le expected that it would meet the views of 
every person. In the course of the next year, 
eleven of the thirteen States concluded to adopt 
the constitution, and it became necessary to 
elect a president. Who, but the man that had 
led the armies of the [Revolution, and who had 
shown his wisdom in the assistance which he 
rendered in forming the constitution, could be 
thought of to fill this important post? The 
whole nation turned to Washington, and Ms 
friends in ever}' part of the country gave him 
no peace until he had agreed that his name 
should be proposed. 

" You know me well enough,'' he wrote to 
Hamilton, "to be persuaded that I am not 
guilty of affectation, when I tell you that it is 
my great and sole desii-e, to live and die in 
peace and retirement on my own farm. . . . 
Still I hope I shall always possess -firmness 
and virtue enough to maintain, what I consider 
the most enviable of all titles, the character of 
an honest manP 

" At my age,*' he remarks to another, '•' and 
in my circumstances, what object or personal 
emolument had I to seek after in this life ? 



332 LIFE OF WASniNGTON. 

" The great Searcher of human hearts is 
my witness, that I have no wish which aspires 
beyond the humble and haj)py lot of living 
and dying a private citizen on my own farm." 

The election took place in January, 1789, 
when General Washington was chosen Presi- 
dent by the vote of all the States, and John 
Adams of Massachusetts, vice-president. 

Before leaving home, Washington paid a 
last visit to his mother, who was then very ill, 
and in setting out for New York, on the 16 th 
of April, he makes this record in his diary : 
" About ten o'clock, I bade adieu to Mount 
Yernon, to private life, and to domestic felici- 
ty; and with a mind opj)ressed with more 
anxious and painful sensations than I have 
words to express, set out for New York, with 
the best disposition to render service to my 
country in obedience to its call, but with less 
hope of answering its expectations." 

Washington's journey was one continued 
triumph ; the different towns which he passed 
vieing with each other in showing honor to the 
father of his country. A splendid deputation 
from New York met the presidential cavalcade 
at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and a grand 
flotilla accompanied him to New York. 



mAUGUKATION. 333 

Thursday, April 30tli, was the day of inau- 
guration. At nine o'clock in the morning, 
religious services were held in the churches, 
and God's blessing invoked in behalf of the 
new government. At twelve, the President 
elect moved in procession to Federal Hall, in 
Wall-street, where the custom-house now 
stands, and was received at the door, and con- 
ducted to the chair, by Mr. Adams, the vice- 
president. A solemn silence prevailed, when 
Mr. Adams rose, and informed him that all 
things were prepared for him to take the oath 
of office required by the constitution. Wash- 
ington then proceeded to a balcony in front of 
the senate-chamber, in view of an immense 
crowd of people, who hailed him with loud 
applause. He laid his hand upon his heart, 
and having bowed several times, he took his 
seat in an arm-chair, near a table covered 
with crimson velvet, on which a superbly 
bound Bible had been placed. 

Washington was dressed in a full suit of 
•dark-brown cloth, with white silk stockings, all 
of American manufacture, silver shoe-buckles, 
his hair tied and powdered, and a steel-hilted 
dress-sword by his side. 

After a few moments, he rose and came 



334 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

forward to the front of the balcony, Mr. Otis, 
the secretary of state, holding up the Bible on 
its crimson cushion. 

Chancellor Livingston of N'ew York admin- 
istered the oath, which was read slowly and 
distinctly, Washington laying his hand on the 
open Bible, and at the conclusion, answering 
with great solemnity, *'I swear^ — so help me 
God!" He then bowed down reverently and 
kissed the Bible. 

The chancellor now stejDped forward, waved 
his hand, and said, " Long live George Wash- 
ington, President of the United States." 

The crowds below sent up a loud shout of 
joy, while the merry peal of church-bells and 
the roar of artillery spread the news abroad, 
that the birth of a ncAV nation was accom- 
plished. 

Returning to the senate-chamber, the presi- 
dent delivered his inaugural address, and then 
proceeded with the whole assembly on foot, to 
St. Paul's Church, where divine service was 
celebrated by Dr. Provoost, the Bishop of 
'New York, who had been appointed one of 
the chaplains of Congress.^ 

* Additional partieulars couccrning Washington's inaugura- 



OFFICIAL DUTIES. 335 

In the evening the city was splendidly 
illuminated, and all joined heartily in the 
general rejoicings. 

"Washington received the flattering atten- 
tions which were shown him, with his accus- 
tomed modesty, and in the midst of these 
excitements, he wrote to a friend : " I greatly 
fear that my countrymen will expect too 
much from me. I fear, if the issue of public 
measures should not correspond with their 
sanguine expectations, they will turn the 
extravagant, and I might almost say, undue 
praises which they are heaping uj)on me at 
this moment, into equally extravagant, though 
I will fondly hope, unmerited censure." 

The President devoted what little leisure he 
could command to the study of all the records 
that had passed between the United States 
and foreign governments, since the treaty of 
peace in 1783 ; and as his office was a new one, 
he was anxious to take the first stejDS with 
propriety and dignity. Such throngs of com- 
pany beset him, that he could be sure of no 
time for rest, until in self-defence, certain 



tion are contained in the Life of Bishop Provoost, published 
by the Church Book Society. 



336 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

hours and forms for the reception of visitors 
had been established. Every Friday after- 
noon, Mrs. Washington entertained her nu- 
merons friends, and once a week there was a 
large dinner-party, to which heads of depart- 
ments, strangers of distinction, and others, 
were invited. 

" The residence provided by Congress for 
the President, was nmnber three Cherry-street, 
now known as the corner of Cherry-street and 
Franklin Square. It was regarded as "up 
town," and was a considerable distance from 
the most fashionable quarter, which was in 
the neighborhood of Wall and Broad streets, 
though the houses of several of the more re- 
spectable families were in the vicinity. It was 
large, and its rooms generally of such ample 
dimensions as were necessary in the home of a 
public character apt to be surrounded by 
numerous visitors. Before the arrival of 
"Washington, Mr. Osgood was requested, by a 
resolution of Congress, to " put the house and 
the furniture thereof in proper condition for 
the residence and use of the President of the 
United States," and a part of the preparation 
thus authorized, was the removal of the parti- 
tion between two of the large apartments to 



STYLE OF LIVING. 337 

make a drawing-room sufficiently capacious 
for the President's receptions and public au- 
diences. The furniture was extremely j)lain, 
but " in keeping, and well disposed, and the 
whole arrangements," according to a corre- 
sj)ondent of Mr. Hancock, were such as to 
"give promise of substantial comfort." Mrs. 
Washington had sent on by sea from Mount 
Yernon many articles of taste and luxury, 
including a few pictures, vases, and other 
ornaments, which had been presented to the 
general by his European friends. " The fami- 
ly plate was melted soon after it was brought 
to the city, and reproduced in more elegant 
and harmonious forms." * 

Washington declined receiving any compen- 
sation for his services, but the salary of the 
j)resident was fixed by law at twenty-five 
thousand dollars. 

Although his style of living was very plain, 
it was supposed that this sum would not more 
than defray his necessary expenses. 
~~ Soon after his inauguration, Washington, 
wearied by labor and excitement, was seized 
with a violent illness which lasted for six 



* Griswold's Kepublican Court, p. 166. 
29 



838 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

weeks. One day, being alone with Dr. Bard, 
his physician, he requested to be told, without 
hesitation, what would be the probable result 
of this dangerous attack. " Do not flatter me 
with yain hopes," he said, " I am not afraid 
to die, and therefore can bear the worst." 

The doctor's answer, while it expressed 
hope, acknowledged his apprehensions. The 
President replied, " Whether to-night, or twen- 
ty years hence, makes no difference ; I know 
that I am in the hands of a good Providence." 

As soon as his health was sufficiently 
restored, he made a tour through 'New Eng- 
land, travelling in his own chariot, and attend- 
ed on horseback by his secretaries. His route 
took him through New Haven, Hartford, 
Worcester, Boston, Salem, and Kewburyport, 
to Portsmouth in New Hampshire, — great 
enthusiasm being shown wherever he went. 

From incidental references in his letters, it 
appears that nothiog was allowed to prevent 
his regular attendance at church. While 
passing through a part of Connecticut, where 
the roads were extremely rough, Washington 
was overtaken by night on Saturday, not 
being able to reach the town where he design- 
ed to spend Sunday. Next morning, by sun- 



KEEPING THE LOEd's DAY. 339 

rise, his coach was ready, and he was hastening 
onward to a tavern near the place of worship 
which he proposed to attend, when the 
informing officer, as he was called, came out 
of his house, and asked the driver whether 
there was any urgent reason for his travelling 
on the Lord's day. The general ordered the 
coachman to stop, and with great civility 
explained the circumstances to the officer, 
commending his fidelity, and assuring him 
that nothing was further from his intention, 
than to show disrespect to the laws of Connec- 
ticut in regard to the observance of the Lord's 
day. 

It was an established rule that no visitors 
should be admitted to the President's house on 
Sunday, and the only exception to the rule was 
in the case of Mr. Trumbull, Speaker of the 
House of Eepresentatives ; and so entirely 
was this privilege confined to him, that it was 
usual with the house-servant, when he heard 
the door-bell ring on Sunday evening, to call 
it the " Speaker's bell." 

In August, 1789, Dr. Griffith, minister of 
Fairfax parish, Alexandria (then Bishop elect 
of the Diocese of Virginia), died in Philadel- 
phia. Dr. William Smith remarked, in the 



34:0 LIFE OF WxiSIlINGTON. 

sermon preaclied at the funeral : " In the ser- 
vice of his country, during our late contest for 
liberty and independence, he was near and 
dear to our illustrious commander-in-chief. 
He was also his neighbor, and honored and 
cherished by him as a pastor and friend." (pJu^.^ , 
~^ On the 25tli of the same month, Wasjiing- I *% 
ton's venerable mother died, at the age of 
eighty-three. When he bade her farewell, 
before setting out for New York, he bowed his 
head upon her shoulder, and wept, murmur- 
ing at the same time something of a hope that 
they should meet again : " ITo, George," she 
replied, " this is our last parting ; my days to 
come are few. But go, fulfil your high duties, 
and may God bless and keep you." 

' The following letter which he wrote to his 
only sister, Mrs. Lewis of Fredericksburg, will 
attest the filial sensibility with which he re- 
garded his mother's death. 

" New York, \%th September, 1789. 

" My deak sistee : — Colonel Ball's letter gave 
me the first account of my mother's death. 
Since that, I have received Mrs. Custis' let- 
ter, written at your request ; and previously to 
both, I was prepared for the event, by some 



DEATH OF HIS MOTHEE. 3:tl 

advices of her illness, communicated to toui* 
son Hubert. 

"Awful and affecting as the death of a 
parent is, there is consolation in knowing that 
Heaven has spared onrs to an age beyond 
which few attain, and favored her with the 
full enjoyment of her mental faculties, and as 
much bodily strength as usually falls to the lot of 
fourscore. Under these considerations, and the 
hope that she is translated to a happier place, 
it is the duty of her relatives to yield due sub- 
mission to the decrees of the Creator. When 
I was last at Fredericksburg, I took a final 
leave of my mother, never expecting to see her 
jnore 

" Give my love to ^XIi-s. Carter, and thank 
her for the letter she wrote to me. I would 
have done this myself, had I more time for 
private correspondence. ISLrs. Washington 
joins me in best wishes for her, yourself, and 
all other friends ; and I am, with the most sin- 
cere resrard, vour affectionate brother." 

May one not commend to the youth of our 
country, this example of persevering and re- 
spectful filial love ? It began with his child- 
hood, and distinguished him till its venerated 

29 ~ 



342 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

object left the world, nor failed to move him 
with tenderest recollections in contemplating 
that event. , And surely the wonted blessing 
attended it. The Divine promise was richly 
fulfilled in his history. He " lived long upon, 
the earth, and it was well with him all the 
days of his life." 



CHAPTER THIETY- SECOND. 

Washington selects his Cabinet— The appointing power gives 
him much trouble — The Church recovering from the effects 
of the war — The General Convention sends an address to the 
President — Bishops Provoost and White — Hamilton's plan 
for paying the debt of the United States — The seat of govern- 
ment removed to Philadelphia for ten years — District of Co- 
lumbia — Washington visits Ehode Island — " There comes 
Washington" — Fault-finders — Eather a sharp letter — The 
President describes his levees — Joshua and Washington com- 
pared — Graver matters which occasion some concern — The 
President worships at Christ Church, Philadelphia — His in- 
timacy with Bishop White — Party spirit running high — 
Federalists and Democrats — One hopeful sign. 

DURIE'G the summer of 1789, Congress 
divided the business of the nation into 
departments, and the President appointed his 
Cabinet. This consisted of Thomas Jefferson, 
of Virginia, Secretary of State; Alexander 
Hamilton, of JSTew York, Secretary of the 
Treasury; General Knox, of Massachusetts, 
Secretary of War ; and Edmund Randolph, of 
Virginia, Attorney-General. 

The power which the President had of ap- 
pointing to office, gave him much trouble, on 
account of the numerous and pressing applica- 



S4A: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

tions; but there was one undeviating course 
which he endeavored to pursue, viz., to select 
the best men for every place, and to suffer no 
influence of friendship or any private motive 
to bias his judgment in the least. 

"While the new Republic was creeping on 
slowly and carefully during the days of its in- 
fancy, the Church of which Washington was 
a devoted member had begun to recover from 
the prostrating effect which the Revolution 
had upon it, and was now fully organized. 
While the ignorant might suppose that the 
Episcopal Church was merely a creature of the 
English government, and therefore to be over- 
thrown when the authority of the king was 
cast off, all well-instructed persons recognized 
it as a true branch of God's Kingdom, which 
was established by Chkist and His Apostles, 
and adapted to the wants of all ages and na- 
tions. 

The first General Convention of the Church, 
after Washington's election as president of the 
United States, was held in Philadelphia, in 
1789, when an appropriate address was sent to 
him by that body, signed by Bishop White of 
Pennsylvania, Bishop Provoost of ^New York, 
and clerical and lay delegates from seven dif- 



NATIONAL C>1PITAL. 345 



ferent States. Had tlie President been living 
as a private citizen at Mount Yernon, instead 
of being the head of a great nation, he would 
undoubtedly have been sent as a delegate from 
Virginia to this council of the Church. A few 
days after receiving the address just referred 
to, he returned a gracious answer, thanking 
the members of the convention for their affec- 
tionate congratulations on his election to the 
chief magistracy of the United States, and 
wishing prosperity to Zion.* 

When Congress met, in 1Y90, Mr. Hamilton, 
the secretary of the treasury, j)roposed a plan 
for paying the debts of the United States, 
w^hich called forth much angry and intemper- 
ate discussion. The iJ^orth and the South held 
conflicting views on the subject, and sectional 
jealousies were aroused, but Mr. Hamilton's 
proposal was finally adopted. 

The choice of a suitable place for the nation- 
al capital was also a difficult point to settle, 
but it was at last agreed that Congress should 
meet for the next ten years in Philadelphia, 
and that, during that period, a convenient spot 



* These interesting documents are preserved in Bioren's col- 
lection of the General Convention Journals, page 99. 



34:6 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Oil the Potomac River should be selected, and 
the necessary buildings erected. 

A territory, ten miles square, was ceded by 
Maryland and Virginia to the United States 
for the purpose. This is the present District 
of Columbia, within the boundaries of which 
the city of Washington stands. 

In the summer of 1790, the President made 
a short visit to Phode Island, which had been 
received into the Union since his last trip to 
the Eastern States. He was cordially welcomed 
by the inhabitants, and returned to Kew York 
after an absence of ten days. 

We are happy to avail ourselves of the de- 
scription given by an eye-witness, to see Wash- 
ington as he appeared at that period of his life : 

" In the year of our Lord 1790, 1 stood upon 
the door-step of the counting-house of which 
I was then but the youngest clerk, when the 
companion beside me hurriedly said, ^ There 
he comes! There comes Washington!' I 
looked up Pearl-street, and saw approaching, 
with stately tread and open brow, the Father 
of my country. His hat was off, for the day 
was sultry, and he was accompanied by Colo- 
nel Page and James Madison, l^ever have I 
forgotten, nor shall I to my dying day forget, 



APPEARANCE AND J^IANNEES. 347 

the serene, tlie benign, the godlike expression 
of the countenance of that man of men. His 
lofty mien and commanding figure, set off to 
advantage by an elegant dress, consisting of a 
blue coat, buff small-clothes, silver knee and 
shoe buckles, and white vest; his powdered 
locks, and powerful, vigorous look (for he was 
then in the prime and strength of his manhood), 
have never faded from my mind during the 
many years which, with all their chances and 
changes, have rolled between."* 

Although Washington was so good a man, 
and had done so much for his country, it must 
not be supposed that his political views met 
with universal approbation, and that nothing 
was ever said or done which gave him pain. 

His military life had rendered his manners 
somewhat precise and stately, and some per- 
sons considered this an evidence of pride, and 
a few declared that his bows were as stiff as 
those of a king, and that his levees were too 
showy for the president of a republic. Such 
things were even said in Virginia, his own na- 
tive State, and when he heard of the ridiculous 



* Personal Eecollections of tlie American Eevolution, edited 
by Sidney Barclay. 



348 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

reports wliicli were in circulation, lie was very 
mucli annoyed, and thus expressed liimself in 
a letter : ^ 

" That I have not been able to make boAvs 
to the taste of poor Colonel B. (who, by the 
by, I believe, never saw one of them), is to be 
regretted, especially, too, as, upon these occa- 
sions, they were indiscriminately bestowed, and 
the best I was master of. Would it not have 
been better to throw the veil of charity over 
them, ascribing their stiffness to the eifects of 
age, or to the unskilfulness of my teachers, 
rather than to pride and the dignity of office, 
which God knows has no charms for me ? For 
I can truly say, I had rather be at Mount Yer- 
non with a friend or two about me, than to be 
attended at the seat of government by the offi- 
cers of state and the representatives of every 
power in Europe." 

He then goes on to give a sketch of his 
levees, and the little ceremony that prevailed 
there. " As to the visits made on those occa- 
sions to the presidential mansion, they were 
optional, and made without invitation. Be- 
tween the hours of three and four, every Tues- 
day, I am prepared to receive them ; gentle- 
men, often in great numbers, come and go, 



EECEPTIONS AND DUTIES. 349 

chat with each other, ajid act as they please ; 
a porter shows them into the room, and they 
retire from it when they please, and without 
ceremony. At their first entrance they salute 
me, and I them, and as many as I can talk to, 
I do. What pomp there is in all this, I am un- 
able to discern. Perhaps it consists in not sit- 
ting. To this, two reasons are opposed ; first, 
it is unusual ; secondly, which is a more sub- 
stantial one, because I have no room large 
enough to contain a third of the chairs which 
would be sufficient to admit it. Similar to the 
above, but not of a more sociable kind, are 
the visits every Friday afternoon to Mrs. Wash- 
ington, where I always am. These public 
meetings, and a dinner once a week, to as many 
as my table will hold, with the references to 
and from the diff'erent departments of state, 
and other communications with all j)arts of the 
Union, are as much, if not more, than I am 
able to undergo ; for I have already had, with- 
in less than a year, two severe attacks, — the last 
worse than the first. A third, more than prob- 
ably, will put me to sleep with my fathers."* 

* The liito Dr. Chalmers of Scotland, in his comments on the 
nineteenth chapter of Joshua, compared that distinguished 
30 



350 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Besides the petty annoyances just spoken of, 
there were graver matters which occasioned 
Washington some concern. It was suspected 
by some that the British authorities secretly 
encouraged the Indians living northwest of the 
Ohio river to trouble the inhabitants of the 
frontiers, and there was reason to fear that a 
serious difficulty would spring up with Spain, 
from the fact that she then owned Florida and 
Louisiana, and discouraged the trade down the 
Mississippi, which the people of the "West found 
a very profitable one. 



leader of ancient Israel to General Washington. Let all dis- 
nnionists or promoters of disunion, tinder whatever plausible 
guise, know assuredly, that no Christian historian of future 
times will ever compare them to Joshua of old, hut will he much 
more likely to compare them to Judas Iscariot. Says Dr. Chal- 
mers : "He [Joshua] was the General Washington of Palestine, 
and was well entitled to a choice portion in the land that he had 
subdued. What a deal of most deeply interesting history has 
vanished from the world ! One should have liked to know the 
diary of his remaining life, his habits and enjoyments, of the 
grateful veneration in which he was held, and whether the Tim- 
nath-Serah of Mount Ephraim was not eyed and resorted to 
with the same feelings of affectionate patriotism which still glow 
in the bosoms of the Americans when they visit Mount Vernon. 
On the principle of the identity of human nature in all ages, we 
should imagine, or rather believe, that it must have been so. 
Joshua was a good man, and occupies a high place among tha 
worthies of Israel." 



BISHOPS PEOYOOST AND WHITE. 351 

All such cases had to be watched and pro- 
vided for. ^ 

In December, 1790, Congress met at Phila- 
delphia, and the President, of course, removed 
there. While he resided in E'ew York, ho 
was a constant worshipper at Trinity Church 
and St. Paul's Chapel, and he highly esteemed 
Bishop Provoost, the rector of Trinity parish, 
not only as a clergyman, but because he had 
taken such a bold stand for his country during 
the Kevolution. On going to Philadelphia, 
Washington became intimate with Bishop 
"White,* whom he had quite as much reason 
to respect as a Christian and a patriot. The 
old pew in Christ Church, which the President 
occupied, is still preserved in Independence 
Hall, Philadelphia. Bishop White used often 
to recur with grateful remembrance to the 
kindly intercourse which subsisted between 
himself and his illustrious parishioner. He 
was a frequent and honored guest at the man- 
sion of the President, always sharing his marked 
attentions with those of Mrs. Washington. 

* For some pleasant recollections concerning the friendship 
between Washington and the first bishop of Pennsylvania, see 
Life of Bishop White, published by the Church Book Society, 
chapter xi. 



352 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

Party spirit ran high during the Congress of 
1790, not only affecting the members them- 
selves, bnt extending to their constituents in 
every part of the Union. Those who wished 
to strengthen the general government were 
called Federalists, while the people who de- 
sired to have the rights of the individual States 
increased were known as Republicans or Dem- 
ocrats. 

The Democrats sympathized with France, 
and the Federalists more with England. There 
was one hopeful sign, however, amidst all this 
confusion and strife, and this was, quarrel as 
the parties might about such subjects as taxes, 
trade, and banks, all agreed in cherishing tlie 
highest regard for Washington, whose unblem- 
ished integrity and disinterested love for his 
country were beyond dispute.* 

* A curious circumstance is mentioned by a traveller in Nic- 
aragua, in 1857, which shows the estimation in which Washing- 
ton is everywhere held. " There is a church at Stivas, over the 
principal portal of which is a very well executed bust of the 
leader of the American Eevolution, and on inquiring of a native 
of the town, I was informed that it was a bust of the ' good saint, 
George Washington.' I confess, that as I passed this church, I 
felt like taking off my hat, and I did it, not because of custom, 
but because I could not help it." 



CHAPTEE THIETY-THIKB. 

Tour through the Southern States — "Washington's care for his 
horses — A stirrup-leather used for improving a bad memory 
— More troubles with the Indians — The first minister sent 
from the United States to Great Britain — A portrait which 
Sir Joshua Eeynolds did not have to paint — Washington's 
correspondence with Lafayette — Party spirit increases in bit- 
terness — Jefferson and Hamilton become unfriendly — Wash- 
ington re-elected president — A bloody revolution in France — 
Sympathies excited in this country — President takes a decid- V 
ed stand — Mr. Genet comes over, and behaves rather impu- 
dently — He is recalled at Washington's request — Troubles 
with England — Mr. Jay sent over as an envoy of peace — More 
troubles — Washington's Farewell Address — A dinner-party 
which ends in tears. Washington meets the two Houses of 
Congress for the last time — A touching scene. 

I]N" March, 1791, WashiDgton started on a 
tour through the Southern States, having 
carefully marked out his route beforehand. 

He proposed to pass througli Fredericks- 
burg, Richmond, "Wilmington, Charleston, and 
Savannah ; thence to Augusta, Columbia, and 
the interior towns of North Carolina and 
Yirginia. He was absent twelve weeks, and 
travelled nineteen hundred miles with the 
same horses. " Indeed," he writes, " so highly 
30* 



354 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

were we favored, that we arrived at each 
phice where I proposed to make any halt, on 
the very day I fixed upon before we set out. 
The same horses performed the whole tour; 
and although much reduced in flesh, kept up 
their full spirits to the last day." 

Washington was always very careful of his 
horses, and looked after them himself, in order 
that they might be well provided for. It is 
said he once tried the stirrup-leather on the 
shoulder of a groom who had left a favorite 
horse uncared for, after he had been ridden 
pretty hard on the previous evening. The 
servant thought that he would be up in ample 
time to prevent his master from discovering 
his neglect, but he was mistaken, for Wash- 
ington rang the stable-bell while the delin- 
quent was sound asleep. 

The President was fond of travelling, and 
these long tours enabled him to become 
personally acquainted with the condition of 
the country, and as soon as he found himself 
in a region which was new to him, he began 
at once to devise plans for increasing its 
natural advantages, or removing its defects. 
Even the Dismal Swamp was indebted to him 
for surveys and improvements. 



INDIAN TROUBLES. 355 

Washington was much pleased with his visit 
to the Southern States, and wrote, after his 
return : " Industry has there taken the place 
of idleness, and economy of dissipation. Two 
or three years of good crops, and a ready 
market for the produce of their lands, have 
put every one in good humor, and in some 
instances, they even impute to the govern- 
ment what is due only to the goodness of 
Providence." 

The Indians northwest of the Ohio had 
long been so troublesome, that the govern- 
ment was obliged to send troops against them, 
in the summer of 1791. The war was a very 
expensive one, and at first the whites were 
not at all successful in their contests with the 
red men. 

Congress assembled at Philadelphia on the 
24:th of October, and the next day the Presi- 
dent delivered his opening speech. Of course, 
the Indian troubles were spoken of at large, 
and valuable suggestions made. 

One of the most important subjects brought 
before Congress was the raising and drilling 
of national militia, and the question became 
much more interesting when reports arrived 
of St. Clair's defeat, and other painful disasters. 



356 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

In January, 1792, tlie first minister was sent 
from this country to Great Britain. Our 
younger readers must remember that we do 
not mean a clergyman. A minister from one 
country to another is the authorized agent of 
the government to attend to any business of 
importance, in which his country's interests 
are concerned. As soon as two nations make 
war, the ministers are sent home. 

Mr. Thomas Pinckney, of South Carolina, 
was chosen for this important office. The 
King of England must have felt strangely 
enough in receiving an ambassador from a 
people who had once been his own subjects, 
and whom he had been so unwilling to give 
up.* 

Washington continued to keep up an active 
correspondence with his friend Lafayette, and 

* While the contest was going on between England and 
America, many influential men in England were so firmly per- 
suaded that the Colonists must finally yield, that Sir Joshua 
Eeynolds, the great painter (who did not agree with them in 
their opinions), received five guineas each from several gentle- 
men, under a promise to pay them in return one thousand 
pounds if lie ever painted the portrait of General Washington, 
in England (as a captive, of course), and which he was not to 
refuse to do, in case the general should be brought to him for 
that purpose. This curious incident is vouched for by his pupil 
Northcote. 



PARTY SPIRIT. 357 

the troubled scenes tlirongh wliich France was 
passing, rendered the letters of the marquis 
unusually interesting. The President kept 
him informed of what was transpiring in 
America, and remarks, in a letter written in 
June, 1792 : " The affairs of the United States 
still go on in a prosperous train. "We increase 
daily in number and riches, and the people 
ai-e blessed with the enjoyment of those rights 
which alone can give security and happiness 
to a nation. Hamilton, Knox, Jay, and 
Jefferson are well, and remember you with 
affection." 

We have referred several times to the preva- 
lence of party sj)irit throughout the country. 
This occasioned "Washington much uneasiness, 
and it was especially distressing to him when 
he discovered the discord which it produced 
among the members of his cabinet. Jeffer- 
son, as leader of the Republicans, and Hamil- 
ton as the acknowledged head of the Federal- 
ists, held conflicting views on almost every 
point of government, and at last their tempers 
became so ruffled by frequent discussions and 
disputes, that they were almost ready to quar- 
rel with each other. The President made 
every effort to bring about a better state of 



358 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

feeling between them, and altliongli lie was 
not altogether successful, he had the satisfac- 
tion of knowing that he had done his duty, 
and he enjoyed the respect of both. lie had 
hoped and expected to retire to private life, at 
the close of his four years' term of office, and 
had already begun to prepare a farewell 
address to the people, but all parties united in 
urging him to consent to serve again. 

"The confidence of the whole Union," says 
Jefferson, " is centred in you." 

Hamilton closes a labored argument to show 
him that he ought to continue in office, by re- 
marking: "I trust and pray God that you will 
determine to make a further sacrifice of your 
tranquillity and happiness to the public good." 

Gouverneur Morris writes : " It will be time 
enough for you to have a successor when 
it shall please God to call you from this 
world." 

Washino'ton a^'ain showed how unselfish he 
was, by giving up home and comfort at the call 
of his country, and having been unanimous- 
ly re-elected President, he took the oath of 
office for the second time, on the 4th of March, 
1793. It was well for the Union that he had 
consented to do so. Hardly had he taken his 



FRENCH REVOLUTION. 359 

place again at the head of the nation, before 
war broke out between England and France. 

A bloody revolution was going on in the lat- 
ter country, and Louis XVI., who had been so 
true a friend to America during the revolu- 
tionary struggle, was beheaded. Lafayette, 
and many other good men, had hoped, at first, 
that a free government might be established 
in France ; but soon the power fell into the 
hands of the desperate and depraved, and 
horrible cruelties were committed in the name 
of Liberty. There was no real government at 
all, and discord and confusion prevailed. 

Washington felt a deep sympathy for the 
former allies of his country, but he made up 
his mind that, as things were, it would not be 
proper for the American government to join 
with the French in a war against Great Brit- 
ain. At this distance of time it is easy to see 
that he judged wisely. Then, however, when 
people were carried away by the wild en- 
thusiasm of the moment, many were disposed 
to respond to the first call of the French lead- 
ers, and thus involve our infant Kepublic in 
serious difficulties. 

Thousands in America loved the French, 
and hated the English, and these were quite 



360 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

indignant at tlie course which Washington 
recommended to be pursued. The newspapers 
were extremely violent, and, for the first time, 
his personal character was assailed. His feel- 
ings at this distressing period may be gath- 
ered from a letter to Governor Lee, of Yirgin- 
ia, who will be remembered as " Light-horse 
Harry" of the Eevolution. 

"Li what will all this abuse terminate? 
For the result, as it respects myself, I care 
not ; for I have a consolation within that no 
earthly efforts can dej^rive me of, and that is, 
that neither ambitious nor interested motives 
have influenced my conduct." 

To make matters worse, when Mr. Genet, 
the French minister, reached this country, he 
was received with marked attention at Charles- 
ton, where he landed, and public meetings 
were held in various places to express sympa- 
thy with France. Washington gave Mr. 
Genet a kind welcome, but it was very evi- 
dent that he had no idea of permitting the 
United States to be drawn into a war. T]ie 
French minister being disappointed at this, 
began to arm and send out vessels from Amer- 
ican ports to capture British vessels, a meas- 
ure which our government could not allow ; 



SEAMEN IMPRESSED. 361 

and when lie was told that he must do so no 
more, he became exceedingly angry, and said 
and wrote offensive things. He even ventured 
to declare that he would appeal from the 
President to the people. This audacious con- 
duct began to open the eyes of the people, and 
they fully justified Washington when he sent a 
request to France that Mr. Genet might be re- 
called. A new minister was appointed in his 
place, who behaved with great propriety. 

It could hardly be supposed that the minis- 
ter of the British government could have ob- 
served the conduct of Mr. Genet, and the 
favor which was shown him by many Ameri- 
cans, without feeling that England was hardly 
treated with justice by the United States. A 
British trading-vessel having been captured 
by a French frigate, within the capes of 
the Delaware, the Americans complained on 
their part that our sailors were sometimes 
taken out of merchant-vessels, and made to 
serve in English ships-of-war, under the pre- 
tence that they were lawful subjects of the 
king. Instead of going to war to settle these 
difficulties, "Washington sent Mr. Jay to Lon- 
don to endeavor to bring the question in dis- 
pute to a peaceful end. ISTo better agent 
31 



362 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

could have been appointed for the purpose; 
but the measures were by no means generally 
approved of. ISTotwithstanding the nomina- 
tion of the envoy, a resolution passed the 
House of Representatives to cut off all inter- 
course with Great Britain, and was only lost 
in the Senate by the casting vote of the vice- 
president. Indeed, the commercial treaty 
which Mr. Jay effected caused so much dissat- 
isfaction, that when it became necessary to 
apply to the House of Representatives to car- 
ry it into effect, that body demanded that 
certain papers should be laid before it, as a 
condition of its action in the matter. Wash- 
ington refused to comply, and being sustained 
by his legal advisers, he stood firm through 
a fierce storm of abuse, and came off triumph- 
ant at last. His health, however, received 
a good deal of injury from these harassing 
cares, and when a third presidential term was 
spoken of, he refused so decidedly that it was 
evident that no persuasions could induce him 
again to change his purpose. 

In the autumn of 1705, George Washington 
Lafayette, — the son of the marquis, who had 
now been a long time in prison, — reached 
America ; and although Washington, as Presi- 



FAREWELL ADDRESS. 363 

dent, was in prudence obliged to avoid show- 
ing too much interest in his behalf, as a man, 
he furnished means for his support and educa- 
tion. He also sent money to the wife of the 
marquis, and exerted himself to the utmost to 
j)rocure the release of his friend. 

The excitement respecting the treaty with 
Great Britain, whicli Mr. Jay had brought 
about, had hardly begun to subside before 
the French government took up the subject, 
and a cloud of war darkened the horizon, but 
through the mercy of an overruling Provi- 
dence it soon disappeared. 

In September, 1796, Washington published 
his Farewell Address to the people of the 
United States, containing counsels of wisdom 
which should be written in characters of gold, 
and diligently studied by every friend of his 
country. It was received with the greatest 
respect by all the States. 

On the day before President Washington 
retired from office, a large company dined 
with him. Among them were the foreign 
ministers and their ladies, Mr. and Mrs. 
Adams, Mr. Jefferson, and other conspicuous 
persons of both sexes. During the dinner 
much hilarity prevailed, but on the removal 



364 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

of the cloth it was j)iit an end to by the Pres- 
ident, certainly without design. Having filled 
his glass, he addressed the company, with a 
smile, in the following or similar words : 
'' Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last time I 
shall drink your health as a pnblic man. I do 
it with sincerity, wishing you all possible 
happiness." There was an end of all pleas- 
antry. Bishop White, who tells this story, 
happened to look at the wife of the British 
minister, Mrs. Listen, and saw tears running 
down her cheeks. 

On the 7th of December he met the two 
Houses of Congress for the last time, and took 
leave of them in an appropriate speech. One 
who was present thus describes the scene: 
"When General Washington delivered his 
Farewell Address, in the room at the south- 
east corner of Chestnut and Sixth streets, I 
sat immediately in front of him. It was in 
the room the Congress had occupied. The 
table of the Speaker was between the two 
windows on Sixth-street. The daughter of 

Dr. C , of Alexandria, the physician and 

intimate friend of Washington, Mrs. H-^ , 

whose husband was the auditor, was a very 
dear friend of mine ; her brother Washing- 



TAKING LEAVE OF CONGRESS. 365 

ton was one of the secretaries of General 
"Washington — young Dandridge, a nephew of 
Mrs. Washington, was the other. I was 

included in Mrs. H 's party to witness the 

august, the solemn scene. E" C 

declined going with Mrs. H , who had 

determined to go so early as to secure the 

front bench. It was fortunate for N 

C (afterwards Mrs. L ) that she would 

not trust herself to be so near her honored 
grandfather. My dear father stood very near 
her; she was terribly agitated. There was a 
narrow passage from the door of entrance to 
the room, which was on the east, dividing the 
rows of benches. General Washington stop- 
ped at the end to let Mr. Adams pass to the 
chair. The latter always wore a full suit of 
bright drab, with slash, or rather loose cuiFs. 
He also wore wrist-ruffles. He had not chang- 
ed his fashions. He was a short man, with a 
good head. With his family he attended our 
church twice a day. 

"General Washington's dress was a full 
suit of black. His military hat had the black 
cockade. There stood the Father of his 
Country, acknowledged by nations ' the first in 
war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his 
31- 



366 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

countrymen.' 'No marshals, with gold scarfs ; 
no cheering. The most profound stillness 
greeted him, as if that great assembly desired 
to hear him breathe and catch his breath, — 
the homage of the heart. Mr. Adams covered 
his face with both his hands. The sleeve of 
his coat and his hands were covered with tears. 
Every now and then there was a sob. I 
cannot describe Washington's appearance as I 
felt it. Perfectly composed and self-possessed 
till the close of his address. Then, when 
strong men's sobs broke loose, when tears 
covered their faces, then the great man was 
shaken. I never took my eyes from his face. 
Large drops came from his eyes. He looked 
to the grateful children who were parting with 
their father, their friend, as if his heart was 
with them, and would be to the end." 



CHAPTER THIRTY-rOURTH. 

A base forgery whicli was skilfully contrived, but whicli did 
little harm — An important record — The inauguration of a new 
president — A silent benediction — Departure for Mount Ver- 
non — Former course of life resumed— Letter to Secretary 
Wolcott — Kural pursuits — The sixty-fifth year of life — 
Picture of e very-day doings — An assistant called in, to help 
in entertaining visitors — A young gentleman gains a good 
wife in this way — Preparations for war with France — "Wash- 
ington appointed commander-in-chief— Goes to Philadelphia 
to attend to important business— A new system of warfare to 
be adopted — The French government begins to hesitate — 
Washington's last concern for the army. 

AMONG the base and insidious artifices for 
injuring the character of "Washington, 
there was one which had been resorted to, in 
1777, which was certainly very skilfully con- 
trived. A series of letters were published in 
England, purporting to have been written by 
the commander-in-chief to different members 
of his family, and to his overseer at Mount 
Yernon, which, if genuine, would have proved 
that he was faithless to the cause he was pre- 
tending to support. The pamphlet was re- 
printed in New York, and extensively circu- 
lated. His political enemies had brought 



308 LIFE OF WASHINGTOK. 

forth tliese documents again, during liis ad 
ministration in 1Y96, hoping to injure liis 
character, but the attempt was vain. 

This infamous publication (the author of 
which never was discovered), was referred to 
by Washington in private letters to his friends, 
but no public notice was taken of it, until the 
3d of March, 1797, the last day of his official 
career. Then he thought it right to leave on 
record a vindication of his character, and he 
accordingly addressed a letter to the Secretary 
of State, pronouncing those letters a base 
forgery, and desiring that this communication 
might be kept on file, as a testimony to the 
truth to the present generation, and to pos- 
terity. 

On the 4th of March, "Washington saw Mr. 
Adams take the oath of office as president of 
the United States, and Mr. Jefferson as vice- 
president. The new officers were warmly re- 
ceived, but the attention shown to the retiring 
chief-magistrate was most enthusiastic. At 
the close of the inauguration ceremonies, as 
Washington moved towards the door to depart, 
the crowd rushed after him, and when, in the 
middle of the strcet, he waved his hat in 
return for the cheers of the multitude, his 



ONCE MORE AT HOME. 369 

countenance radiant with benignity, and his 
gray hairs streaming in the wind. The people 
followed him to his door, and as he stood on 
the steps, and turned towards them for the 
last time, his eyes were filled with tears, and 
it was only by a silent gesture that he could 
express his thanks and convey his final bless- 
ing. The same night, the citizens of Phila- 
delphia gave him a public banquet in the 
Amphitheatre, at which they spared neither 
pains nor expense to do him honor. 

The next day he set out on his journey to 
Mount Yernon, desiring to make it as private 
as possible, but the people lost no opportunity 
of manifesting their gratitude and love. Once 
more he entered upon the sweet enjoyments of 
home, and his former course of life was 
resumed. 

The repairing of his buildings, and the 
improvement of his farm, afi'orded him ample 
employment. Multitudes of letters poured in 
upon him, and the visitors to Mount Yernon 
were not a few. 

In Avriting to his friend, Oliver Wolcott, 
then secretary of the treasury, he thus 
exultingly refers to his deliverance from the 
burden of public cares : " For myself, having 



370 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

turned aside from the broad walks of political 
into the narrow paths of private life, I shall 
leave it with those whose duty it is to consider 
subjects of this sort, and, as every good citizen 
ought to do, conform to whatsoever the ruling 
powers shall decide. To make and sell a little 
flour annually, to repair houses going fast to 
ruin, to build one for the security of my papers 
of a public nature, and to amuse myself in 
agriculture and rural pursuits, will constitute 
employment for the few years I have to remain 
on this terrestrial globe. If, also, I could now 
and then meet the friends I esteem, it would 
fill the measure, and add zest to my enjoy- 
ments ; but, if ever this happens, it must be 
under my own vine and fig-tree, as I do not 
think it probable that I shall go beyond twenty 
miles from them." 

And again to another friend (Win. Heath), he 
indulges in pleasant anticipations : " Ketired 
from noise myself, and the responsibility at- 
tached to public employment, my hours will 
glide smoothly on. My best wishes, however, 
for the prosperity of our country will always 
have the first place in my thoughts ; while to 
repair buildings and to cultivate my farms, 
which require close attention, will occupy the 



HIS DAILY OCCUPATIONS. 371 

few years, perhaps days, I may be a sojourner 
here, as I am now in the sixty-fifth year of my 
peregrination through life." 

A letter to his friend James McHenry, sec- 
retary of war, furnishes a picture of his every- 
day life. " I am indebted to you," whites he, 
" for several unacknowledged letters ; but nev- 
er mind that ; go on as if you had answers. 
You are at the source of information, and can 
find many things to relate, while I have noth- 
ing to say that could either inform or amuse a 
secretary of war in Philadelphia. I might tell 
him that I begin my diurnal course with the 
sun ; that, if my hirelings are not in their 
places at that time, I send them messages of 
sorrow for their indisposition ; that, having 
put these wheels in motion, I examine the state 
of things further; that, the more they are 
probed, the deeper I find the wounds which 
my buildings have sustained, by an absence 
and neglect of eight years ; that, by the time 
I have accomplished these matters, breakfast 
(a little after seven o'clock, about the time I 
presume you are taking leave of Mrs. McHen- 
ry) is ready ; that, this being over, I mount my 
horse and ride round my farms, which employs 
me until it is time to dress for dinner, at which 



372 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

I rarely miss seeing strange faces, come, as tliey 
say, out of respect to me. Pray, would not 
the word curiosity answer as well ? And Low 
different this from having a few social friends 
at a cheerful board ! The usual time of sitting 
at table, a walk, and tea bring me within the 
dawn of candlelight ; previously to which, if 
not prevented by company, I resolve that, as 
the glimmering taper supplies the place of the 
great luminary, I will retire to my wi'iting- 
table, and acknowledge the letters I have re- 
ceived ; but when the lights are brought I feel 
tired and disinclined to engage in this work, 
conceiving that the next night will do as well. 
The next night comes, and with it the same 
causes for postponement, and so on. Having 
given you the history of a day, it will serve 
for a year, and, I am persuaded, you will not 
require a second edition of it." 

As the stream of visitors at Mount Yernon 
continued steadily to increase, "Washington felt 
it necessary to have some one at home to re- 
lieve him from a part of the duty of entertain- 
ing them ; and for this purpose, he invited his 
nephew, Lawrence Lewis, to take up his abode 
there. 

One consequence of this excellent arrange- 



WAE ANTICIPATED. 373 

ment was that an attacliment sprang np be- 
tween the young gentleman and Mrs. Wash- 
ington's grand-daughter, the lovely and attract- 
ive l^elly Custis, which ended in marriage. 

In 1Y98, the American government felt 
obliged to prepare for war with France, and 
in July, President Adams appointed General 
Washington commander-in-chief of the army 
of the United States. It was a sad disaj)point- 
ment to find his dream of repose so soon dis- 
turbed, but he loved' his country too well to 
draw back from duty, come how and when it 
might. He accepted the commission, on con- 
dition that he should not be called into the 
field until his presence was really important. 

Early in November, however, he left home, 
and repaired to Philadelphia, to make arrange- 
ments respecting the forces about to be raised. 
It was no easy thing to organize a new army, 
and Washington was beset with aj)plications 
for rank which he sometimes found it difficult 
to settle. The officers who had served in the 
Pevolution naturally expected good positions, 
but he thought that younger men should be se- 
lected for the approaching contest, as the sys- 
tem which he j)roposed to adopt was one of 
rapid marches, and brilliant, dashing attacks, 



374: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

and his endeavors would be to prevent tlie en- 
emy from effecting a landing on our shores. 
These active preparations produced a very per- 
ceptible effect upon the policy of the French 
government, and in December, 1799, war had 
not been declared. Washington's last concern 
about the army was to give instructions to 
have the soldiers protected by huts from the 
blasts of winter, according to an idea which 
Hamilton had suggested," and which had been 
adopted in the Kevolutit)nary war. 



CHAPTEE THIETY-FIFTH. 

Winter weather— Wasliington continues liis daily rides and his 
in-door employments — Arrangements for a new vault — A 
complete system for the management of his estate — " A large 
circle round the moon" — Writes his last letter — A ride in the 
rain— More thoughtful for a servant than himself— Sitting by 
the cheerful parlor-fire reading the newspapers — "I never 
take any thing for a cold"— An alarm in the night— Dr. Craik 
sent for— An unfortunate bleeding— The two wills— "I find 
I am going" — Consideration for others — " I am not afraid to 
go" — Wishes to be alone — Directions about his burial — A last 
effort worthy of himself— The death-chamber— A note worth 
reading— Touching evidence of affection— Why Washington 
did not communicate in his last hours— Proofs of a gracious 
state. 

ALTHOUGH winter had now set in, witli 
occasional wind, and rain, and frost, Wash- 
ington continued, as nsnal, to spend a part of 
ahnost every day on horseback, attending to 
his out-door business, while the rest of his time 
was well employed within. 

He had recently been walking about the 
grounds with a favorite nephew, pointing out 
the improvements which he intended to make, 
mentioning ^particularly the building of a new 
family vault, in place of the old one which had 



376 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

gone to decay. "This cliange," said lie, "I 
sliall make the first of all, for I may require it 
before tlie rest." 

The general was then in full health and vig- 
or, and there seemed no prospect of his speedy 
death. Like a wise man, however, he wished 
to be always ready. 

" When I parted from him," adds the neph- 
ew, " he stood on the steps of the front door, 
where he took leave of myself and another. . . . 
It was a bright, frosty morning ; he had taken 
his usual ride, and the clear, healthy flush on 
his cheek and his sprightly manner brought 
the remark from us both that we had never 
seen the general look so well. I have some- 
times thought him decidedly the handsomest 
man I ever saw ; and when in a lively mood, 
so full of pleasantry, so agreeable to all with 
whom he associated, I could hardly realize he 
was the same Washington whose dignity awed 
all who approached him.""^ 

Washington had been engaged, for some 
time past, in arranging a complete system on 
which his estate was to be managed for several 
succeeding years, all neatly written out in his 

* Paulding's Life of Washington, vol. ii., p. 196. 



EXPOSURE TO WEATHEE. 3Y7 

clear, bold hand, and filling thirty folio pages. 
This was finished on the 10th of December, 
and on the same day he wrote a letter to his 
manager. " My greatest anxiety,'^ he remarked, 
not long before, " is to have all these concerns 
in such a clear and distinct form, that no re- 
proach may attach itself to me when I have 
taken my departure for the land of spirits." 

The day after the completion of these in- 
structions to his steward, he describes in his 
journal as having been marked by wind and 
rain, and " at night a large circle ronnd the 
moon." 

The cold, threatening morning of the 12tli 
should have kept a man of sixty-eight under 
the comfortable shelter of his own roof, and 
Mrs. Washington suggested to her husband 
that he had better remain at home. 'But hav- 
ing something particular to attend to, he 
mounted his horse and set off on his usual 
ride. That very morning, he had written a 
letter to Hamilton, heartily approving of a 
plan for the establishment of a mnlitary acade- 
my, which the latter had submitted to the sec- 
retary of war. Washington then laid down 
his pen forever. 

About one o'clock it began to snow and hail, 

32* 



378 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

and tlien it clianged to rain. Having on liis 
overcoat, Washington paid no attention to tlie 
weather, and did not return from his ride till 
after three. 

Mr. Lear, his secretary, brought him some 
letters to be franked, in order that they might 
be taken to the post-office, but although the 
general attended to his request, he remarked 
that the weather was too bad to send a servant 
out with them. He was cold and weary, and 
the snow-flakes hung on his white locks. Mrs. 
Washington was concerned to see this, and 
begged him to make some change in his dress, 
but he said that it was unnecessary, as his 
great-coat had kept him dry. He spent the 
evening as usual, reading aloud to his family, 
although he was observed to be a little hoarse. 
As the snow was three inches deep on the next 
morning, and still falling, he did not venture 
out for his usual ride. He complained of a 
sore throat, and had evidently taken cold. The 
sun coming forth in the afternoon, he went out 
to mark some trees, not far from the house, 
which were to be cut down, and although his 
hoarseness became worse towards night, he 
thought little of it. Sitting by the cheerful 
fire in the parlor, he amused himself with the 



SERIOUS ILLNESS. 379 

newspapers, occasionally reading alond some 
entertaining item. 

On retiring to bed, Mr. Lear advised that 
lie should take something to relieve his cold, 
but he answered : " 'No : you know I never 
take any thing for a cold ; let it go as it came." 

About three in the morning, he awoke Mrs. 
Washington, saying that he had a chill, and 
felt very unwell, but he would not allow her 
to get up to call a servant, lest she should 
take cold. At daylight, when the colored 
woman came to make the fire, she was sent to 
summon Mr. Lear, who found the general 
breathing with difficulty, and hardly able to 
speak a word intelligibly. 

"Washington requested that Dr. Craik might 
be brought from Alexandria, and that, in the 
mean time, Rawlins, one of the overseers, 
should bleed him, before the physician could 
arrive. 

The practice of bleeding, then so common 
for all sorts of diseases, and now almost as 
much condemned, was seriously objected to 
by Mrs. Washington, and it was probably the 
worst remedy which could have been tried in 
the case of the general — an old man, and ex- 
tremely temperate in his habits. 



380 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

The overseer hesitated and opened a vein 
timidly, but Washington insisted, saying, 
though with difficulty : '' Don't be afraid, the 
orifice is not large enough." 

Dr. Craik arrived before nine, and two 
other physicians. Doctors Dick and Brown 
were called in. Yarious remedies were tried, 
but all to no 23urpose. 

"About half past four," writes Mr. Lear, 
" he desired me to call Mrs. Washington to his 
bedside, when he requested her to go down 
into his room and take from his desk two wills, 
which she would find there, and bring them 
to him, which she did. UjDon looking at them 
he gave her one, which he observed was use- 
less, as being superseded by the other, and 
desired her to burn it, which she did, and 
took the other and put it into her closet. 

" After this was done, I returned to his bed- 
side and took his hand. lie said to me : ' I 
find I am going ; my breath cannot last long. 
I believed from the first that the disorder 
would prove fatal. Do you arrange and 
record all my military letters and papei'S. 
Arrange my accounts, and settle my books, 
as you know more about them than any one 
else; and let Mr. Eawlins finish recording 



LAST HOURS. 381 

my other letters, which he has begun.' I 
told him this should be done. He then asked 
if I recollected any thing which it was essen- 
tial for him to do, as he had but a very short 
time to continue with us. I told him that I 
could recollect nothing, but that I hoped he 
was not so near his end. He observed, smil- 
ing, that he certainly was, and that, as it was 
the debt which we must all pay, he looked to 
the event with perfect resignation." 

In the course of the afternoon, he appeared 
to be in great pain and distress from the dif- 
ficulty of breathing, and frequently changed 
his position in the bed. Mr. Lear endeavored 
to raise him and turn him with as mucli care 
as possible. " I am afraid I fatigue you too 
much," the general would say. Upon being 
assured to the contrary, " Well," observed he, 
gratefullj^, "it is a debt we must pay to each 
otlier, and I hope when you want aid of this 
kind, you will hnd it." 

His servant, Christopher, had been in the 
room during the day, and almost the whole 
time on his feet. The general noticed it in 
the afternoon, and kindly told him to sit 
down. 

About live o'clock, his okl friend Dr. Craik 



382 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

came again into the room, and approached 
the bedside. " Doctor," said the general, " I 
die hard, but I am not afraid to go ; I be- 
lieved from my first attack that I shonld not 
survive it ; my breath cannot last long." The 
doctor pressed his hand in silence, retired from 
the bedside, and sat by the fire absorbed in 
grief. 

Between five and six, the other physician 
came in, and he was assisted to sit up in his 
bed. 

"I feel I am going," said he ; "I thank you 
for your attentions, but I pray you to take no 
more trouble about me : let me go off quietly ; 
I cannot last long." He lay down again : all 
retired excepting Dr. Craik. The general 
continued uneasy and restless, but without 
complaining, frequently asking what hour it 
was. 

Further remedies were tried, without avail, 
in the evening. He took whatever was ofier- 
ed him, did as he was desired by the physicians, 
and never uttered a sigh or complaint. Once 
or twice he was heard to say : '' I should have 
been glad, had it pleased God, to die a little 
easier; but I doubt not it is for my good." 

Some hours before his departure, he request- 



DYING WORDS. 383 

ed that every person would leave the room, that 
he might be alone for a short time. Who can 
doubt how these solemn moments were occu- 
pied ? Prayer had been a confirmed habit of 
his life. From youth to old age, he had never 
omitted the duty ; and now, while on the very 
threshold of eternity, he desired to be alone 
with God. It had always been his custom to 
pray in an audible voice ; and to avoid the ap- 
pearance of ostentation, he now made the re- 
quest just mentioned. 

" About ten o'clock," writes Mr. Lear, " he 
made several attempts to speak to me before 
he could effect it. At length he said : ^ I am 
just going : have me decently buried, and do 
not let my body be put into the vault in less 
than three days after I am dead.' I bowed 
assent, for I could not speak. He then look- 
ed at me again, and said: ^Do you under- 
stand me?' I replied ^Yes.' "Tis well,' said 
he." 

The last effort of the expiring Washington 
was worthy of himself. Raising himself up foi 
a moment, and casting a look of benignity on 
all around him, as if to thank them for theii 
kind attentions, he composed his limbs, closed 
his eyes, and folding his arms upon his bosom. 



384: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

breathed out his soul with the whispered pray- 
er : " Father of mercies, take me to thyself!" 

" Mark the perfect man, and behold the 
upright, for the end of that man is j)eace." 
Psalm xxxvii. 37. 

" While we were fixed in silent grief," con- 
tinues Mr. Lear, "Mrs. Washington, who was 
seated at the foot of the bed, asked, with a firm 
and collected voice, 'Is he gone?' I could 
not speak, but held up my hand as a signal 
that he was no more. ' 'Tis well,' said she, in 
the same voice. 'All is now over; I shall 
soon follow him ; I have no more trials to pass 
through.' "^ 

* A notice of Mrs. Wasliington's death, wliicli appeared in the 
Alexandria Advertiser of May, 1802, will not be inappropriate 
here. 

"On Saturday, the 23d of May, at 12 o'clock, p. m., Mrs. 
Washington terminated her well-spent life. Composure and 
resignation were uniformly displayed during seventeen days' 
depredations of a severe fever. From the commencement, she 
declared that she was undergoing the final trial, and had long 
been prepared for her dissolution. She took the Sacrament 
from Dr. Davi.s (Kector of Christ Church, Alexandria), impart- 
ed her last advice and benediction to her weeping relations, 
and sent for a white gown, which she had previously laid by 
for her last dress. Thus, in the closing scene, as in all preced- 
ing ones, nothing was omitted. The conjugal, maternal, and 
domestic duties had all been fulfilled in an exemplary manner. 
She was the worthy partner of the worthiest of men, and those 
who witnessed their conduct could not determine which ex- 



EXPIRED IN PEACE. 885 

On the sad night of the general's death, 
when attendants were about to prepare his 
body for the grave, a miniature likeness of 
Mrs. Washington was found on his breast, 
where it had hung by a ribbon from his neck^ 
for more than forty years. 

It has sometimes been said, why did not so 
devout a Christian as Washington send for a 
clergyman, and receive the Holy Communion 
in his last hours ? 

But while we know the piety, the reverence, 
the deep devotion of his public and his private 
life, and his practice of communicating regu- 
larly when the opportunity was aifordecl, let us 
remember that his " short and painful illness 
would have forbidden it" now ; but his death 
was not without proofs of a gracious state. 

" He told to surrounding friends that it had 
no terrors for him, — that all was well. The 
Bible was on his bed ; he closed his own eyes, 
and, folding his arms over his breast, expired 
in peace." * 



celled in their different characters ; both were so well sustained 
on every occasion. They lived an honor and a pattern to their 
country, and are taken from us to receive the rewards promised 
to the faithful and just." 
* Old Churches of Virginia, vol. ii., p. 255. 
33 



CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXTH. 

Opeuing the old family vault — The crowd begins to gather to 
do houor to the illustrious dead — Order of the procession — 
The burial-service — The Kev. Thomas Davis — Honors paid 
to the memory of "Washington throughout the nation — Eng- 
land and France show their respect for real worth — Traits of 
character, as sketched by Chief-justice Marshall — Washing- 
ton's opinions concerning profane swearing and duelling — 
Teaching the army to reverence the name of the Most High 
— "I thought that we all supposed ourselves gentlemen !" — 
A home-thrust which was felt long afterwards — Washington 
shows his heroism by making an apology — His interference 
prevents Lafayette from fighting a duel — The hope of the 
nation — Our only safeguards — The majestic march of Wash- 
ington. 

THE funeral of Washington took place on 
Wednesday the 18th of December, his 
death having occurred on Saturday night, the 
14:th of the month. 

The old family vault had been opened, the 
rubbish cleared away, and preparations made 
for depositing the remains there, until the new 
tomb could be prepared, for which the general 
had left directions in his will.* 

* Over the door of the tomb, upon a stone panel, are cut the 
words : " I am the resurrection and the life ; he that bclieveth in 
me, though he were dead, yet shall he live !" The old vault 



le^UNERAL. 887 

Althougli the funeral was appointed for 
three o'clock in the afternoon, by eleven tl\e 



referred to was upon the brow of a declivity, in full view of the 
river, about three hundred yards south of the mansion, on the 
left of the present pathway from the tomb to the summer-house 
on the edge of the lawn. It is now in utter ruin. The door- 
way is gone, and the cavity is partly filled with rubbish. 
Therein the remains of Washington lay imdisturbed for thirty 
years, when an attempt was made by some Vandal to carry 
them away. The insecure old vault was entered, and a skull 
and some bones were taken ; but these composed no part of the 
remains of the illustrious dead. The robber was detected and 
the bones were recovered. The new vault was then immediately 
built, and all the family remains were placed in it. Mr. William 
Strickland, of Philadelphia, who designed the composition on 
the lid of Washington's coffin, and accompanied Mr. Struthers 
when the remains of the patriot were placed in it in 1837, has left 
a most interesting account of that event. On entering the vault 
they found every thing in confusion. Decayed fragments of cof- 
fins were scattered about, and bones of various parts of the hu- 
man body were seen promiscuously thrown together. The de- 
cayed wood was dripping with moisture. " The slimy snail glist- 
ened in the light of the door-opening. The brown centipede was 
disturbed by the admission of fresh air, and the mouldy cases 
of the dead gave a pungent and unwholesome odor." The 
coffins of Washington and his lady were in the deepest recess 
of the vault. They v/ere of lead, inclosed in wooden cases. 
When the sarcophagus arrived, the coffin of the chief was 
brought forth. The vault was first entered by Mr, Strickland, 
accompanied by Major Lewis (the last survivor of the first exe- 
cutors of the will of Washington), and his son. When the 
decayed wooden case was removed, the leaden lid was perceived 
to be sunken and fractured. In the bottom of the wooden ease 
was found the silvQ^ coffin-plate in the form of a shield, which 
was placed upon the leaden coffin wlien Washington was first 



388 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

people of the neighborhood began to assemble. 
At a later hour the corporation of Alexandria, 



entombed. " At the request of Major Lewis," says Mr. Strick- 
land, " the fractured part of the lid was turned over on the 
lower part, exposing to view a head and breast of large dimen- 
sions, which appeared, by the dim light of the candles, to have 
suiFered but little from the effects of time. The eye-sockets 
were large and deep, and the breadth across the temples, 
together with the forehead, appeared of iinusual size. There 
was no appearance of grave-clothes ; the chest was broad, the 
color was dark, and had the appearance of dried flesh and skin 
adhering closely to the bones. We saw no hair, nor was there 
any offensive odor from the body ; but we observed, when the 
coffin had been removed to the outside of the vault, the drip- 
ping down of a yellow liquid, which stained the marble of the 
sarcophagus. A hand was laid upon the head and instantly 
removed ; the leaden lid was restored to its place, the body, 
raised by six men, was carried and laid in the marble coffin, 
and the ponderous cover being put on and set in cement, it was 
sealed from our sight, on Saturday, the 7th day of October, 
1887. . . . The relatives who were present, consisting of Major 
Lewis, Lorenzo Le^jvis, John Augustine Washington, George 
Washington, the Kev. Mr. Johnson and lady, and Mrs. Jane 
Washington, then retired to the mansion. On the east side of 
the tomb, beneath neat marble monuments, lie the remains of 
Mrs. Eleanor Parke Lewis and her daughter, Mrs. M. E. Con- 
rad. The former was the grand-daughter of Mrs. Washington, 
and adopted daughter of the general. In front of the tomb are 
two stately obelisks of marble. The one on the right commem- 
orates the eminent Judge Buslirod Washington, nephew of the 
general, who inherited Mount Vernon ; the one on the left, 
John Augustine Washington, a nephew of the judge, and father 
of the present proprietor of the estate. These are all the family 
monuments that stand by the tomb of the patriot."— ifoz-jj^r's 
Magazine, March, 1859. 



BURIAL SERVICE. 389 

with the militia and Freemasons of the place, 
and eleven pieces of cannon arrived ; a schoon- 
er was also stationed off Mount Yernon to fire 
minnte gnns. 

About thi^e, the procession left the house ; 
the troops, both horse and foot, forming the 
escort ; then came four of the clergy, and then 
the geperal's horse, led by two grooms in 
black. The body was borne by the Free- 
masons, and officers; several members of the 
family, and Dr. Craik, and other attached 
friends, followed as chief moij|||ers. The cor- 
poration of Alexandria, and^F long train of 
private ^persons closed the procession. 
^The sublime burial-service of the Episcopal 
Oiurch was read at the vault, by the Rev. 
Thomas Davis,* rector of Christ Church, 
Alexandria, to, whose parish General Wash- 
ington belonged. 

* Thifi clergyman " was admitted to orders in England, in 
September, 1773, and on coming to this country settled in 
Norfolk Parish, Va. ; in 1792 he was in St. Stephen's Parish ; 
and in 1795 he had become the rector of Christ Church, Alex- 
andria, in Fairfax Parish. He died there some time before 
1810." — Spi-ague's Annals^ vol. v., p. 406. 

Bishop Meade remarksf in a letter to the author, that Mr. 
Davis "was one of those who had espoused the cause of the 
Eevolution at an early ^period, and took part in some public 
services at Williamsburg." 

33«^ 



390 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

The same holy Church which, as a tender 
mother, had received the infant in her arms, 
sixty-seven years before, now committed the 
lifeless remains to the silent tomb, with devont 
prayers, and the cheering hope of a resurrec- 
tion unto eternal bliss. 

A deep and heartfelt sorrow pervaded the 
nation, on hearing of the death of Washington. 
Both Houses of Congress immediately ad- 
journed for the day, the chair of the Sj)eaker 
was shrouded with black, and it was resolved 
that the members and officers should wear 
mourning during the session. 

On the 26th of January, 1800, a special com- 
memoration of the virtues of the illustrious 
dead was held at Washington, by direction of 
Congress, when the religious services were 
conducted by Bishop White, and an appro- 
priate and eloquent oration delivered by Gen- 
eral H. Lee."^ 

The whole country broke forth into heart 
felt lamentations, and funeral processions and 
eulogies were the sj)ontaneous offering of the 
humblest village. Like affectionate children 

9 

* The prayers used by Bishop White on this solemn occasion, 
may ba found in the appendix to his Life, by Dr. Wilson, page 
357. 



POSTHUMOUS HONORS. 391 

at tlie grave of an honored parent, the United 
States wept over the tomb of him to whom, 
under God, they owed their liberty. Nor were 
these sentiments and emotions confined to one 
continent alone. When the tidings of AVash- 
ington's decease reached England, Lord Bridg- 
port, who had command of a large fleet, low- 
ered his flag half-mast, — every ship following 
his example ; and ^Napoleon, then first consul 
of France, on announcing his death to the ar- 
my, ordered that black crape should be hung 
from all the flags throughout the public ser- 
vice for ten days. 

" ISTo man has ever appeared upon the thea- 
tre of public action," remarks Chief-justice 
Marshall, ''whose integrity was more incor- 
ruptible, or whose principles were more per- 
fectly free from the contamination of those 
selfish and unworthy passions which find their 
nourishment in the conflicts of party. Having 
no views which required concealment, his real 
and avowed motives were the same ; and his 
whole corres^Dondence does not furnish a single 
case from which even an enemy would infer 
that he was capable, under any circumstances, 
of stooping to the employment of duplicity. 
No truth can be uttered with more confidence 



392 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

tlian tliat his ends were always upright, and 
his means always pure. He exhibits the bare 
example of a politician to whom wiles were 
absolutely unknown, and whose professions to 
foreign governments and to his own country- 
men were always sincere. In him was fully 
exemplified the real distinction which forever 
exists between wisdom and cunning, and the 
importance as well as truth of the maxim, that 
* honesty is the best policy.' 

"If Washington possessed ambition, that 
passion was, in his own bosom, so regulated 
by principles, or controlled by circumstances, 
that it was neither vicious nor turbulent. In- 
trigue was never employed as the mean of its 
gratification, nor was personal aggrandizement 
its object. The various high and important 
stations to which he was called by the public 
voice were unsought by himself; and in con- 
senting to fill them, he seems rather to have 
yielded to a general conviction that the inter- 
est of his country would be thereby j)romoted, 
than to his particular inclination. 

" Neither the extraordinary partiality of the 
American people, the extravagant praises 
which were bestowed upon him, nor the in- 
veterate opposition and malignant calumnies 



393 

which he experienced, had any visible influ- 
ence upon his conduct. The cause is to be 
looked for in the texture of his mind. 

" In him, that innate and unassuming mod- 
esty which adulation would have offended, 
which the voluntary plaudits of millions could 
not betray into indiscretion, and which never 
obtruded upon others his claims to superior 
consideration, was happily blended with a high 
and correct sense of personal dignity, and with 
a just consciousness of that respect which is 
due to station. Without exertion, he could 
maintain the happy medium between that ar- 
rogance which wounds, and that facility which 
allows the office to be degraded in the person 
who fills it. 

"Endowed by nature with a sound judg- 
ment, and an accurate, discriminating mind, 
he feared not that laborious attention which 
made him perfectly master of those subjects, 
in all their relations, on which he was to de- 
cide ; and this essential quality was guided by 
an unvarying sense of moral right, which would 
tolerate the employment only of those means 
that would bear the most rigid examination ; 
by a fairness of intention which neither sought 
nor required disguise ; and by a purity of vir- 



394: LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

tue which was not only untainted, but unsus- 
pected." 

It could hardly be expected that a public 
man, like "Washington, so large a portion of 
whose life was spent amidst the excitements 
of the camp, should have found time to mature 
those Christian graces which flourish best in 
scenes of retirement; but enough has been 
said to show that many, in far more favorable 
circumstances, do not attain to his standard of 
holiness. 

In the hope that the example of the Father 
of his Country may exert an influence upon 
the young men of the rising generation, we 
shall briefly refer to his views on two points, 
which are too often made light of: the sin of 
profane swearing, and duelling. 

So far back as 1756, we find him endeavor- 
ing to impress upon the soldiers under his 
command a profound reverence for the name 
and the majesty of God, and repeatedly, in 
his public orders during the Revolution, the 
inexcusable ofl'ence of profaneness was re- 
buked. 

On a certain occasion he had invited a num- 
ber of ofiicers to dine with him. While at ta- 
ble, one of them uttered an oath. General 



ON PROFANITY AND DUELLING. "^5 

"Wasliington dropped his knife and fork in a 
moment, and in his deep "undertone, and char- 
acteristic dignity and deliberation, said, "I 
thought that we all supposed ourselves gentle- 
men." He then resumed his knife and fork, 
and went on as before. The remark struck 
like an electric shock, and, as was intended, did 
execution, as his observations in such cases were 
apt to do. JSTo person swore at the table after 
that. When dinner was over, the oJSicer re- 
ferred to said to a companion, that if the gen- 
eral had given him a blow over the head with 
his sword, he could have borne it, but that the 
home-thrust which he received was too much, 
— it was too much for a gentleman ! 

It is to be hoj)ed that he never exposed him- 
self to such a rebuke afterwards. 

Washington's opinions in regard to the bar- 
barous practice of duelling are also well worth 
remembering. In the year 1754, — when about 
twenty-two years of age, he was stationed in 
Alexandria, as colonel of a regiment of Vir- 
ginia troops. During his stay in that town, 
an election for members of the House of Bur- 
gesses took place. The candidates were Colo- 
nel George Fairfax and a Mr. Elzey. His 
warm friendship for Colonel Fairfax brought 



396 LIFE OF WASHINGTON-. 

him in collision with a Mr. Payne, the friend 
of Mr. Elzey. In consequence of some offen- 
sive language into which he was betrayed to- 
wards Mr. Payne, that individual struck him 
with a stick, and so violent was the blow, that 
it knocked him down. There being a great 
excitement among the officers and men belong- 
ing to his regiment, because of this indignity 
offered their beloved commander, he forthwith 
employed his influence in allaying the tumult, 
and then retired to his lodgings in a j)iiblic 
house. From there he wrote a note to Mr. 
Payne, requesting that he would meet him 
next morning at the tavern, as he wished to 
see him in reference to their late disagreement. 
Payne, in expectation of an unpleasant inter- 
view, repaired accordingly to the appointed 
place, and instead of a hostile meeting, found 
Washington prepared to acknowledge his fault, 
and solicit pardon for the offence given in an 
unguarded m^oment. It is needless to say that 
Payne witnessed with admiration this triumph 
of princij)le over passion, and that a friendship 
was kindled in his bosom which he did not 
cease to cherish as long as he lived. 

How noble and becoming was this conduct ! 
It was es^^ecially admirable in a youthful 



AKOTHER EXHIBITION OF PPONCIPLE. 39T 

soldier, whose very profession exposed liim to 
peculiar temptations on such an occasion. 
How many would have been driven, by the 
fear of reproach and dread of unfavorable 
insinuations, to incur the hazards of a duel, 
thus offering up at the shrine of honor the 
costly sacrifice of human life ! It is not possi- 
ble that a man like Washington, so endowed 
with moral courage and regard for virtue, 
should be moved by the fear of man to such a 
course. He dreaded not the charge of coward- 
ice from the mouths of fools. In his own 
bosom he had its ample refutation. 

An incident attending the history of Gen- 
eral Lafayette, during the Revolutionary War, 
afforded another occasion for evincing his 
principles in reference to this pernicious cus- 
tom. 

Having in view to send a challenge to Lord 
Carlisle, President of the Board of British 
Commissioners, on account of offensive lan- 
guage towards France, sanctioned by him in 
an address to Congress, Lafayette, as in duty 
bound, wrote to General Washington, request- 
ing his opinion on the propriety of the pro- 
posed course, and received the following re- 

34 



398 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 

"FisHKiLL, Uh October, 1778. 
" My dear Marquis : — I have had the pleas- 
ure of receiving, by the hands of Monsieur de 
la Colombe, your favor of the 28th ultimo, 
accompanied by one of the 24th, which he 
overtook somewhere on the road. The leave 
requested in the former, I am as much inter- 
ested to grant, as to refuse my approbation of 
the challenge proposed in the latter. The 
generous spirit of chivalry, exploded by the 
rest of the world, finds a refuge, 'my dear 
friend, in the sensibility of your nation only. 
But it is in vain to cherish it, unless you can 
find antagonists to support it; and, however 
well adapted it might have been to the times 
in which it existed, in our days it is to be 
feared that your opponent, sheltering himself 
behind modern opinions, and under his present 
public character of commissioner, would turn 
a virtue of such ancient date into ridicule. 
Besides, supposing his lordship accepted your 
terms, experience has proved that chance is 
often as much concerned in deciding these 
matters as bravery, and always more than the 
justice of the cause. I would not, therefore, 
have your life, by the remotest possibility, 
exposed, when it may be reserved for so many 



coNCLrsiON". 399 

greater occasions. His excellency, the admi- 
ral, I flatter myself, will be in sentiment with 
me; and as soon as he can spare you, will 
send you to head-quarters, where I anticipate 
the pleasure of seeing you." 

The hope of this nation depends upon the 
young who are now coming forward to occupy 
their fathers' places. May God of His mercy 
raise up other Washington s to preserve the 
liberties which were so dearly bought ! Mo- 
rality and religion are our only safeguards. 
'' Let the statesman and the legislator hang up 
in the temple of his heart, the tablets of God's 
law, written in golden capitals. Let him 
bind them for a sign upon his hand, and for 
frontlets between his eyes ; let him write them 
upon the door-posts of his house and of his 
gates; let them be the avowed and known, 
and only principles of his conduct, and he 
shall always be furnished with a ready rule of 
action ; he will put to flight the tricks of 
diplomacy and the intrigues of low ambition ; 
he will stand with a clear space about him, 
able to see where he is, and where he is going ; 
he will march, as in triumphal progress, along 
the far-stretching avenue of time, lined and 



400 



LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 



crowded with successive generations, amid the 
cheers and smiles of admiring nations ! Such 
is the majestic march of Washington." * 

* Addresses and Lectures on Public Men and Public Affairs, 
By the Kev. C. M. Butler, D. D., p. 212. 




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